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Thursday, North Korea strongly criticized the defection of 468 North Koreans to South Korea in a statement by a spokesperson from the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Fatherland, calling it "the South Korean government¡¯s unpardonable premeditated abduction and terrorism in broad daylight." The North previously criticized the defection of a North Korean high-ranking official as ¡°South Korea¡¯s induced abduction,¡± but Thursday's denouncement is unusual because it has usually remained silent about the defections of North Koreans since their numbers began increasing in the late 1990s.
North Korea said that the collective entrance is an attempt to ¡°change its regime,¡± pointing out that it took place at the same time as the North Korean human rights bill was passing before the U.S House of Representatives.
North Korea also said, ¡°The collective entrance is the largest antagonistic behavior aimed at overthrowing its regime. South Korea should be accountable for the results of the incident and other forces, which cooperated in bringing the defectors to Seoul and should pay an high price. We will retaliate against this crime conducted by the South Korean government.¡±
North Korea is showing signs of straining relations with South Korea. It refused to hold working-level talks, which were slated for August 3, in preparation for an inter-Korean ministerial meeting. North Korean officials also rejected Seoul¡¯s proposal to discuss the schedule for an inter-Korean ministerial meeting, saying that they received no order from their superiors. Prior to the refusals the North unilaterally delayed maritime working-level talks and military working-level talks on the pretext of the South Korean government¡¯s disapproval of the South Koreans attending the memorial service for the late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. But related to the South¡¯s rice aid and economic cooperation, the North has continued to maintain contact with the South.
A South Korean government official refuted the North¡¯s claim, saying that ¡°Pyongyang¡¯s argument is not true. There has been no change in the government¡¯s stance of accepting all North Korean defectors staying in a third country from fraternal and humanitarian standpoints.¡±
(Kim In-gu, ginko@chosun.com )
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