Ankara:North Korea called South Korea's accusation that Pyongyang 'deliberately planted' two mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which exploded last month and wounded three South Korean soldiers, an act of 'blame shifting.'

According to Anadolu Agency, the North Korean Foreign Ministry, through a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), described the incident as a 'sinister obstructive move' by South Korea to portray North Korea's border fortification as a 'military invasion.' The ministry dismissed the claims as 'a poor trick' to transfer fault for the accident onto North Korea.

The reaction from Pyongyang followed Seoul's announcement on Monday, demanding an apology from North Korea for allegedly planting the mines. Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff called for a sincere apology to the injured soldiers and the removal of the mines in violation of the armistice agreement.

North Korea accused Seoul of attempting to damage its international image with what it termed a 'premeditated farce.' The North's ministry declared it would resolutely exercise its sovereign rights to secure its southern border and rejected any demands from South Korea.

The North Korean statement warned of 'immediate and powerful counteraction' if any actions from South Korea crossed the border. It also stated that North Korea would not be responsible for any future incidents, placing full accountability on the other party involved.

The Korean Peninsula remains divided since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, leaving North and South Korea technically still at war.