N. Korea blasts plans by Christian group to light X-mas tree tower near border

North Korea's state-controlled religious organization on Thursday blasted a plan by a South Korean Christian group to light a giant Christmas tree-shaped tower near the inter-Korean border.

The (North) Korean Council of Religionists (KCR) said the decision by the conservative Christian Council of Korea (CCK) to erect a tree tower on top of Aegibong, a front-line hill in Gimpo, west of Seoul, aims to use religion to fuel confrontation.

The warnings carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and monitored in Seoul, also claimed the action can only be seen as "criminal" because it could trigger military conflict.

The KCR said the Aegibong structure has been used for decades as a psychological warfare tool to incite anti-DPRK unrest.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

It then said the CCK was a pseudo-religious group that has no conscience or morals.

The North Korean group added that the CCK will be held accountable for any problems that arise if they light the tree tower.

In response, the South Korean group countered that the lighting of the tower aims to bring about hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and made clear that the lighting ceremony will take place on Dec. 23 as planned.

The North's reaction, meanwhile, comes two days after Seoul approved the religious group's plan to build and light the tower.

The tower on the 165-meter hill, which had long been served as a propaganda tool against North Korea, was torn down recently, 43 years after its establishment.

The military, which controls the site, said the structure was demolished not to avoid antagonizing the North, but for safety reasons due to its age. (Yonhap)