North Korea accuses UN chief of siding with South Korea over border tensions

SEOUL: North Korea expressed regret over comments by the UN secretary-general urging the two Koreas to ease tensions through dialogue following a landmine blast at the border, accusing him of taking Seoul's side, state media reported on Tuesday (Nov 10).

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took a "prejudiced and irresponsible" attitude by echoing South Korea's unilateral claim over the September blast.

"The UN secretary-general's behaviour of echoing words of the provokers and patronising them without having proper understanding of the fact is not helpful to the detente," Kim said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Guterres encouraged the two Koreas to resume dialogue, including on the military level to avoid unintended accidents.

Tensions have spiked since a landmine blast inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) border seriously wounded several South Korean soldiers on a reconnaissance mission in September. Seoul has said the blast was caused by North Korean mines.

Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the mine incident and said its troops were conducting an operation in the DMZ to fortify the border and had not violated the UN Charter or international laws.