Squabbling has thrown cold water all over high-level talks between North and South Korea aimed at smoothing recent tensions.

The two Koreas were to have met in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed reopening the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint venture between North and South.  It was seen as as a sign of improving North-South relations, following months of raised tensions that began with a Nuclear Weapons test ordered by Pyongyang.

But they couldn’t decide on the size of the delegations, and who would be on each panel.  The North accused the south of provocations and halted communications.  And the South’s repeated attempts to get the ball rolling again with phone calls on the bilateral hotline went unanswered.

South Korea’s Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said the setback was, “one of the pains we have to go through for a new relationship between South and North Korea.”