North Korea accused the United States of "impeding" its Mount Kumgang tourism project, saying the United States should take all responsibility if the inter-Korean project breaks down.

Radio Pyongyang said Tuesday the United States has openly stepped up its schemes to ruin the Mount Kumgang project since the inauguration of the Bush administration.

It also denied a U.S. allegation as a "fabrication" that Pyongyang has diverted the revenues from the tourism project for military purposes.

The radio report came at a time when Hyundai Asan President Kim Yoon-kyu is travelling to North Korea to renegotiate terms that will allow Hyundai to turn a profit or to begin a shut down of the operations.

The North has repeatedly refused to reduce the flat U.S. $12 million monthly fee Hyundai must pay for the tour concession or the $200 fee visitors must pay to enter the park, but at the same time, it hasn't stopped the tours even though Hyundai is currently paying only a small fraction of that fee.