R.O.K. Government’s Stance on the Statement
by Spokesperson of North Korea’s National Defense Commission
February 6, 2014
n Just a day after agreeing to hold reunions for the separated families, North Korea is threatening that it may not fulfill the agreement, linking a completely irrelevant issue to the family reunions. It is regrettable that North Korea, once again, has broken the hearts of the separated families.
n As we have explained numerous times, the R.O.K.-U.S. joint military drills are annual exercises for defense purposes conducted according to international norms and procedures. They have nothing to do with the separated family reunions.
n Also, as we have said repeatedly, the R.O.K. government has not slandered North Korea. The fact that North Korea is raising issue with some of our media reports is a farfetched claim insisting that our government should control the press.
n North Korea signed the agreement to hold reunions for the separated families at the working-level meeting yesterday without any mention of military exercises. Therefore, it is unjust for North Korea to argue that the family reunions cannot take place along with military exercises.
l As for us, we cannot but see North Korea’s such attitude as an attempt to either stop our legitimate military drills in the name of the family reunions or scrap the family reunions blaming the military exercises.
n North Korea should not repeat its behavior of hurting the elderly separated families who have waited for the reunions for more than 60 years. We make it clear that it is imperative for North Korea to fulfill the agreement on family reunions this time.
