North Korea again blasted the United States for hindering improvement in inter-Korean relations and escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the gazette of the North's ruling Workers' Party, claimed Wednesday the U.S. is impeding the improvement of inter-Korean ties on all fronts. The paper said the U.S. is pouring cold water on the North's efforts to enhance ties with South Korea and inciting mistrust and confrontation between the two Koreas.

The paper argued the U.S. is pressing the South to refuse the North's offer to halt all hostile acts against each other and to proceed with their joint military drills.

In the past, the North condemned both the U.S. and South Korea for their joint drills. The regime is focusing its attacks on the U.S. this time around, after it proposed the Koreas completely halt all actions offending and blaming each other.