DPRK accuses S. Korea of hampering north-south contact
November 22, 2010
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday criticized South Korea for blocking organizations of various circles on the peninsula from making any contact and visit.
The Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said the actions of South Korea were "a blatant challenge to the desire of the fellow countrymen for national harmony, cooperation and reunification," the official news agency KCNA quoted a statement of the committee as saying.
South Korea also takes an anti-reunification act of blocking the free discussion and activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and figures of all social strata for reunification, and pushing the north-south relations to freeze and escalating the confrontation, the statement said.
It has been clearly proved that South Korean authorities pursue only confrontation without any willingness to mend the north-south relations, it added.
The statement urged South Korea to opt for dialogue and cooperation, stop all acts of blocking contacts and visits between NGOs and guarantee free discussions and activities for reunification.
According to the statement, when the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) of South Korea, an opposition party, made an application for contacts and exchanges with the Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP) of the DPRK on Nov. 15, the Ministry of Unification of South Korea turned it down under the pretext of "taking into consideration the present south-north relations."
Besides, the ministry rejected the proposal made by the DLP for a visit to an area of the north side for discussing north-south cooperation with the KSDP in late September.
It also blocked the Kaesong working contact between the Press Panel of the North Side Committee and the Press Headquarters of the South Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration, said the statement.
