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North Korea on Wednesday demanded a drastic reduction to a South Korean delegation that is to visit Pyongyang for ceremonies marking the fifth anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration, citing "new obstacles" created by the United States. Pyongyang cited "serious slander" of the North Korean regime by the U.S. and the deployment of stealth bombers to the South.
The two Koreas had agreed on May 28 that an official South Korean delegation of 70 people would attend anniversary celebrations for the Joint Declaration that started an uneasy thaw between them. But on Wednesday the North demanded the delegation be cut to 30. Pyongyang also asked Seoul to reduce the civilian delegation from 615 to 190. An official said the North's demands came by fax in the morning, just 15 days ahead of the scheduled ceremony.
The government is perplexed by the sudden change in the North Korean position. Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Hong-jae only said the ministry will ˇ°urge the North to conform to the existing agreement" by fax tomorrow or the next day.
Meanwhile, China's semi-official China News Service reported Wednesday that following a U.S. decision to send 15 F-117 Nighthawk stealth bombers to South Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il inspected military units and ordered the nation to strengthen its readiness for war. Quoting North Korea's Rodong Shinmun, the news agency said Kim visited a Korean People's Army unit on Monday evening. It did not say where the unit was located but assumed it to be based near the DMZ. China News Service said that brought the number of units Kim visited in one week to three.
The news agency also said the U.S. Defense Department's decisions last week to suspend a search for remains of U.S. soldiers missing in action in North Korea and send the stealth bombers to South Korea were a show of strength on the part of the Bush administration and an attempt to further isolate Pyongyang.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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