North Korea Thursday blamed this week's naval clash on a "conspiracy" by South Korea's military to thwart the current mood of cross-border dialogue, according to AFP Thursday.
Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the ruling communist party, said Tuesday's clash was not accidental but stemmed from a conspiracy by Seoul's military "to turn inter-Korean relations toward tension through the means of military provocation." The paper's commentary was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The exchange of fire near the western sea border was the first in seven years.
Seoul said a North Korean patrol boat crossed the border, ignored five warnings to turn back and then opened fire at a South Korean boat which had fired a warning shot.
It said South Korean boats then returned fire and set the North's boat ablaze.
The North's military has blamed the South's military for what it called a "grave armed provocation". It said Seoul's ships had opened fire while its craft was north of the border, which was the scene of bloody battles in 1999 and 2002.