SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea's parliament has proposed holding talks with South Korea to ease tensions and improve relations between the two Koreas.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that the Supreme People's Assembly made the offer in a Wednesday letter to South Korea's National Assembly.

The offer comes days after a North Korean committee proposed that lawmakers from the two Koreas talk to overcome the “grave situation” on the divided peninsula.

Repeated calls to the National Assembly seeking comment went unanswered.

The latest overture comes five days before the two Koreas hold a preliminary meeting to lay the groundwork for high-level defense talks.