The government has dismissed North Korea’s claim that South Korea declined to discuss resuming tours to Mount Geumgang without the consent of the United States.
 
Unification Ministry Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee stressed to reporters on Wednesday that South Korea is a sovereign, independent nation, adding that the North should keep in mind that its distorted propaganda undermines the credibility of its reports.
 
On Tuesday, the North’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea claimed that during last week’s high-level inter-Korean talks, the South refused to discuss resuming tours to Mount Geumgang.
 
It went on to say that the South made poor excuses on the matter, saying that it could not discuss the issue without the consent of the United States.