North Korea says any departure from the inter-Korean declarations of June 15th, 2000 and October fourth last year cannot be the basis of relations between the two Koreas.

A state-run North Korean newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, said in a commentary that South Korea's Lee Myung-bak administration was trying to bargain for inter-Korean relations. It declared that Pyongyang would not associate with Lee, who it said has denied the two historic inter-Korean declarations.

The official daily of the North Korean Workers' Party denounced Seoul's decision to prioritize its relations with Washington, its pragmatism and its North Korea policy known as the "non-nuclear and open-door policy 3000.” It claimed Seoul's new leadership was encouraging confrontation.

The daily carried the commentary after the South Korean leader held a news conference on Sunday. The president said the doors remain open for inter-Korean dialogue.