North Korea slams UN chief over border tensions, rejects call for dialogue

North Korea on Tuesday criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over his call for renewed dialogue on the Korean Peninsula, accusing him of siding with South Korea amid tensions over a reported mine explosion near the inter-Korean border.

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of the ruling Workers' Party and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Guterres had adopted a "prejudiced and irresponsible attitude," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

She accused the UN chief of echoing Seoul's position on the incident without establishing the facts.

Kim defended Pyongyang's construction of military fortifications along its southern border as a legitimate exercise of self-defense.

She alleged that South Korea was obstructing the construction and attempting to blame North Korea for escalating tensions.

"If he is sincerely interested in the detente on the Korean peninsula," Guterres should understand the incident and hold Seoul responsible, she said.

Kim warned that Guterres would share responsibility if South Korean military actions triggered an incident along the border.

The dispute follows a Sept. 21 mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that wounded three South Korean soldiers, two seriously. Seoul blamed North Korean mines, citing a joint investigation with the UN Command, while Pyongyang denied responsibility and accused Seoul of fabricating evidence.