North Korea Thursday accused US and South Korean troops of stirring up confrontation and tension on the peninsula, as President Barack Obama announced a date for a US envoy's visit to Pyongyang.

The North has made "sincere" efforts to defuse tensions on the peninsula and improve cross-border relations, Rodong Sinmun, the North's ruling communist party newspaper, said in a commentary.

"However, the bellicose forces of the United States and South Korea are going ahead with frantic moves for a war of aggression against the DPRK (North Korea)," it said.

"This once again clearly indicates that they are primarily to blame for escalating the military confrontation and tension and increasing the danger of a war."

The United States stations 28,500 troops to defend the South against any attack by the North.

After a Seoul summit with President Lee Myung-Bak, Obama announced that US envoy Stephen Bosworth would visit North Korea on December 8 to try to bring it back to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks.

He also urged Pyongyang to end provocations and negotiate seriously. The North's leader Kim Jong-Il said last month his country was ready to return to the six-nation talks, but only if the bilateral discussions with the United States were satisfactory.

Rodong Sinmun said intensifying war moves by US troops were "the main factor of disturbing peace and security" on the peninsula.

It also accused South Korea of military provocations such as a naval clash on the tense Yellow Sea border on November 10.

The South said the North's boat crossed the border despite repeated warnings and opened direct fire in response to warning shots. The North said the South's navy staged a premeditated provocation and threatened revenge.

"The above-said moves of the US and South Korean militaries are dangerous developments as they vitiate the atmosphere of dialogue, disturb the peace and security on the peninsula and put the danger of war of aggression against the DPRK into extremes," Rodong said.