South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said on Wednesday that North Korea is placing the blame for strained inter-Korean relations upon South Korea.

During a meeting of top commanders, the minister said North Korea is threatening to scrap a bilateral military agreement and shut down the inter-Korean liaison office, while criticizing the Seoul government. 

Jeong said North Korea has also criticized routine military exercises and defense buildup, shifting blame for the strained inter-Korean relations to the South, when the North is raising military tensions on its side. 

The minister then ordered the military to more strictly control people's access to areas near the border, amid heightened tension over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean defectors in South Korea into the North. 

The minister reportedly called for strengthened measures to stop unauthorized people from entering the civilian access control areas in order to curb the defectors' activities.