South Korea is pressing North Korea to cooperate in the shooting death of a South Korean tourist at the North’s Mount Geumgang, calling the incident unjustifiable.

Pyongyang has also rejected Seoul's demand for an on-site inspection by South Korean officials and blamed the South for the shooting. The South has also demanded cooperation in preventing a recurrence of such an incident.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul said in a statement Sunday that under a 2004 inter-Korean accord on entering and staying in the Mount Geumgang area, the North guaranteed the safety of South Koreans and their property.

If the North violates the agreement, it is required to notify its violations to the South after probing the matter.

The ministry urged inter-Korean cooperation in investigating the shooting, citing the inter-Korean agreement on forming and operating a joint committee for resolving problems in entry of South Korean tourists to the resort.

The ministry urged Pyongyang to handle the matter responsibly, warning that a lack of thorough investigation will dash hope for more developed inter-Korean ties.