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Japanese authorities' moves to bar DPRK ship's service under fire

KCNA

    Pyongyang, June 12 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korea-Japan Friendship Association in a statement on June 11 denounced the Japanese government for its inhumanitarian and unethical action to bar the service of the ship "Mangyongbong-92." He said: the ship is called "a ship that set an example in humanitarianism" and "a ship of Korea-Japan friendship." Yet, the Japanese government is treating the ship as a "criminal" one instead of fully protecting and ensuring its safe sail in the spirit of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and in keeping with the desire of the Koreans in Japan and the Japanese people.
    Over the last more than decade since its first voyage the ship has sailed the East Sea of Korea as a symbol of genuine humanitarianism and Korea-Japan friendship. It has ensured visits of Koreans in Japan to the homeland and Japanese visits to the DPRK, contributing to promoting exchange and friendship between the Korean people and the progressives of Japan and between political parties and organizations.
    He dismissed the Japanese authorities' reckless behavior as a provocative act to impair the high international prestige of the DPRK and tarnish its image and encroach upon its sovereignty and self-respect and an anachronistic move to trample underfoot the right to humanitarian visit of Koreans in Japan to their homeland and bedevil the Korea-Japan friendship and thus chill the desire of the two peoples for improved bilateral relations.
    The statement said:
    The Japanese authorities should ponder over the fact that in case the Korean people strong in self-respect are compelled to take any countermeasure, the relations between the two countries may turn into the worst hostile relations, the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration may be reduced to a dead document and then this may pose an unpredictable threat to the peace and security of Asia and the rest of the world. The Japanese authorities should immediately rectify their hostile policy toward the DPRK and Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan), a policy going against the trend of the times, make a policy switchover for the implementation of the declaration and take positive measures to ensure at once the regular service of the ship and enable Korean residents and students in Japan to visit their homeland as scheduled.
    Availing ourselves of this opportunity, we express belief that the progressive and peace-loving people, political parties and organizations in Japan will actively turn out in the solidarity movement to check the Japanese authorities' unreasonable anti-DPRK, anti-Chongryon campaign and boost the Korea-Japan friendship.