South Korea expressed regret Friday that North Korea has blamed President Park Geun-hye for warning against the North's provocation during her summit with China's leader.
  

The North's message was released Thursday as Park held a summit with her Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Wednesday in Beijing, where they warned Pyongyang against taking any action that could escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. She expressed gratitude to Xi for the constructive role Beijing has played in defusing tensions.
  

The Unification Ministry voiced regret over the North's criticism of Park, calling on North Korea to sincerely implement the two Koreas' recent landmark deal on easing military tensions.
  

"It is regrettable that North Korea has slammed Park for what she said during her visit to China and threatened to scuttle the inter-Korean agreement," Jeong Joon-hee, ministry spokesman, said at a regular press briefing.
  

"The North should sincerely implement the inter-Korean deal and cooperate to improve the bilateral relations," he said.
  

Last week, the two Koreas agreed to make efforts to mend ties and push for the resumption of the much-awaited reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.
  

The North expressed "regret" over a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border last month that left two South Korean soldiers seriously injured as part of the deal. South Korea has said that the North's regret is the equivalent of an apology by international standards.
  

But the North denied Seoul's claims on Wednesday that its recent expression of regret is equal to an apology. (Yonhap)