North Korea Saturday rejected the South's demand for an on-site inspection by Seoul officials into the death of a South Korean tourist at the North's Mount Geumgang.

In a statement, the North's operator of the joint tourism program expressed regret about the death, but claimed that the South should take responsibility for the incident.

It urged Seoul to apologize for it and take steps to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.

As to the South's decision to suspend the tourism program, the North said, ``Until the South apologizes for the incident properly and take measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents, we will not accept tourists from the South."

The government attempted to send North Korea a telegram demanding an on-site inspection by Seoul officials into the death of Park Wang-ja, 53, a resident in Nowon-gu, Seoul. But it was unable to get a clear response, the Ministry of Unification said.

Park, a housewife, was shot to death by a North Korean soldier early Friday, while taking a pre-dawn stroll on a beach near the Mount Geumgang resort.

Pyongyang claimed the woman crossed about 1.2 kilometers into a fenced-off military area, but fled back toward the hotel where she was staying when the soldier ordered her to halt for investigation, Hyundai Asan, the South's operator of the tour program, was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.