Pro-North Group Demands Apology, Calls US Ambassador's Inter-Korean Cooperation Check a "Sovereignty Violation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Dong-pyo] North Korea-related organizations demanded an immediate apology and retraction of remarks from Harry Harris, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.

The "National Movement Headquarters for the Resumption of Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Kumgang Tourism" (hereinafter Movement Headquarters) stated in a statement titled "Ambassador Harris to South Korea must apologize and retract his sovereignty-violating remarks," released on the 17th, that "South Korea is not a country subordinate to the United States."

Launched in July last year amid changes in the Korean Peninsula situation, the Movement Headquarters is composed of 97 civil society organizations, including the National Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation and the South Side Committee for the Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration.

The statement emphasized that "seeking and promoting various measures for peace on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean cooperation is an inherent right as a sovereign state and a party to the Korean Peninsula," and that Ambassador Harris's remarks mentioning "prior consultation with the U.S." are a clear "violation of sovereignty."

This criticism was directed at Ambassador Harris's remarks at a foreign press briefing the previous day regarding the South Korean government's plan to prioritize individual tourism, where he said, "Tourism is allowed under sanctions," but also stated, "To avoid misunderstandings that could trigger future sanctions, it is better to handle this through the South Korea-U.S. working group."

The statement evaluated the "South Korea-U.S. working group" mentioned by Ambassador Harris as "having obstructed the implementation of inter-Korean agreements at every turn," and argued, "Now that even the ambassador is demanding that South Korea seek U.S. approval for every aspect of North Korea policy, it only intensifies the distrust and anger of the Korean people toward the U.S. government."

Regarding Ambassador Harris, the statement repeatedly demanded that he "publicly apologize and retract his inappropriate remarks denying the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea."