SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea reiterated Saturday a proposal for unconditional talks with South Korea to ease tensions on the divided peninsula.

The latest offer comes days after South Korea dismissed earlier calls by the North for negotiations.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s official Twitter account appeared to have been hacked on Saturday, which is believed to be the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il’s youngest son and heir-apparent, Kim Jong Un. Four messages critical of the Kims remained posted in the account for 10 hours as of late Saturday.

“Let’s make a new world by removing our people’s sworn enemy — traitor Kim Jong Il and his son Kim Jong Un!” one message read. Another urged the North’s military to “point the gun” at Kim Jong Il for diverting money to the country’s missile and nuclear programs.

Tensions between the two sides escalated after a North Korean artillery barrage on a South Korean-held island near their disputed maritime border killed four South Koreans in November.

The attack — the first on a civilian area since the Korean War — occurred in waters near where a North Korean torpedo allegedly sank a South Korean warship eight months earlier. That attack killed 46 sailors. North Korea has denied responsibility.