South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung - wha left New York following the 73rd UN General Assembly session without crossing paths with her North Korean counterpart, the media reported on Sunday.
Kang held talks with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and top diplomats from other nations during her stay here.
But Ri Yong - ho, North Korea's Foreign Minister, declined Kang's earlier proposal for a meeting in New York, reports Yonhap News Agency.
South Korean government sources said on Sunday that Kang, who accompanied President Moon Jae - in to the inter - Korean summit in Pyongyang earlier this month, spoke to Ri on that trip and suggested they meet during the UN General Assembly.
The sources said that North Korea may be reluctant to discuss denuclearization at the foreign ministerial level, though Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong - un have discussed the topic in their three summit meetings this year.
Kang had also failed to set up a meeting with Ri during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Singapore in August.