The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday accused South Korean authorities of destroying negotiations for settling readjustment of properties in the special zone of Mount Kumgang, the official news agency KCNA reported.

According to the KCNA, a spokesman of the DPRK Guidance Bureau of Special Zone for International Tour of Mount Kumgang told KCNA on Thursday that negotiations for settling the readjustment of properties, including real estate inside the special zone, failed due to the obstructive moves of South Korean authorities.

Most of those concerned of non-governmental enterprises of the south side were barred from entering the Mount Kumgang Resort on June 29 for the readjustment of properties, including real estate inside the special zone, the spokesman said.

Moreover, several officials on the south side came to disturb the work with those concerned of enterprises by keeping the DPRK side from meeting with those concerned of nongovernmental enterprises and insisting on having negotiations between the authorities of both sides.

Finally, they went back without notice, taking with those concerned of non-governmental enterprises, the spokesman added.

It proved that the real purpose of the trip was not to protect the right to properties of South Korean enterprises but to "disturb the readjustment of real estate and scuttle the international tour of the DPRK side at any cost," the spokesman said.

The DPRK side had to ask the concerned of enterprises of the south side, including Hyundai Asan who are staying in the mountain resort, to convey a notice of its proposal for readjustment of properties, saying that "all those who have properties in the resort are requested to come there by July 13 after studying the proposal and in case of those who fail to appear there by that time, the DPRK side will consider they quit their properties and take relevant legal steps" the spokesman said.

The negotiations failed to take place entirely due to the deliberate obstruction of the Ministry of Unification, the spokesman said.

The DPRK Guidance Bureau of Special Zone for International Tour of Mount Kumgang notified the south side's on June 17 that all assets including real estates in the zone are to be disposed of under the Law on Special Zone for International Tour of Mount Kumgang and asked all parties concerned of the south side which have real estates in the zone to come to Mount Kumgang by June 30 in order to discuss the matter of disposing of the frozen and seized properties.