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KAPPC on Its Stand on Tour of Kaesong

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

   Pyongyang, January 24 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC) gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Wednesday as regards south Korean media's misinformation about the issue of tour of Kaesong: South Korean media released misinformation that the KAPPC withdrew its policy of dealing with Lotte tourist business over the issue of tour of Kaesong and took the stand of dealing with Hyundai Asan over the tour of Kaesong.
    In an effort to make this sound plausible the media reported that the KAPPC informed the former minister of Unification on a visit to the Kaesong Industrial Zone on December 8 last year of this and gave Hyundai Asan "a positive message over the issue of tour of Kaesong" at a meeting with it at Mt. Kumgang Resort.
    This is a false report that does not deserve even a passing note. But the KAPPC is compelled to clarify its stand as they are engrossed in the smear campaign against the north.
    The above-said misinformation released by south Korean media all at once cannot be interpreted otherwise than a mean diatribe made by the authorities in collusion with high fliers and tricksters of Hyundai Asan who stoop to any infamy to meet their business interests.
    The KAPPC has remained true to the bilateral good faith, invariably considering national reconciliation and unity as the basic purpose of inter-Korean economic cooperation undertakings including the dealing with Hyundai Asan.
    The upper crust of Hyundai, however, forgot the privileges and benefits granted to it by the KAPPC, playing into the hands of those high fliers and tricksters, and behaved quite contrary to the ties of trust and friendship maintained by its predecessor with KAPPC for years. This compelled the KAPPC to totally reexamine the business with Hyundai and decide to stop dealing with it over the tour of Kaesong which was high on the agenda.
    The Hyundai side deeply repented and apologized to the KAPPC side for its wrong doings several times and assured the latter of taking measures against the recurrence of similar things. The KAPPC treated the Hyundai side with magnanimity and favor, considering that it made a shift in its stand and attitude.
    The reality, however, proves that the Hyundai side's words of apology and repentance were no more than hypocrisy and that the high fliers and tricksters inside Hyundai are still keen to lead the cooperation with the KAPPC in a wrong direction.
    The KAPPC has no formal agreement with the Hyundai side over the issue of tour of Kaesong and, moreover, there was no agreement with the latter in this regard in recent days. The KAPPC's stand is consistent and it feels no need to examine or consider any change.
    The Hyundai side and the south Korean authorities should tell the whole story of the recent case, make honest apology and assure the KAPPC of taking measures against the recurrence of a similar case, bearing deep in mind that any plot hatched contrary to the main objective and purport of the north-south cooperation undertakings would only make it impossible for any cooperation undertaking with the KAPPC to make smooth progress.
    The KAPPC, at the same time, cannot but take issue with the groundless smear campaign launched by south Korean media and the biased stand of the conservative media including the Dong-A Ilbo.
    They should not swim against the trend of the times if they are not in a position to lead the trend of the times as required by the original mission of media at a time when the desire for national reconciliation and unity is growing stronger.
    The anti-reunification conservative media keen on inciting mistrust and confrontation among the fellow countrymen only cannot meet the need of the June 15 era of reunification and, accordingly, will not be able to escape ruin, censured by the nation and history.
    The KAPPC will closely watch the future attitude of the Hyundai Asan and the south Korean authorities.