Explanation of the Facts in the Notice Sent to Cheongwadae... "An Incident That Should Not Have Happened Occurred"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] It is noteworthy that North Korea unusually and swiftly conveyed Chairman Kim Jong-un's intention to apologize. On the 25th, a notification letter in the name of North Korea's United Front Department was delivered, following President Moon Jae-in's statement on the 24th that "the North Korean authorities must take responsible responses and measures."
At the time when it became known that a South Korean missing public official had died from gunshot wounds inflicted by North Korean soldiers at sea, inter-Korean relations rapidly froze. While the North acknowledged shooting the person who crossed over from the South, it presented claims differing from those of our government regarding the facts.
The North stated, "We cannot help but express great regret over why your military chooses disrespectful and confrontational expressions such as ‘atrocity’ and ‘due punishment’ based on unilateral conjectures without any evidence or demands for explanations regarding our crackdown on illegal intruders and the process of such crackdown."
The North emphasized, "Our leadership assessed that an incident that should not have happened occurred, and instructed to strengthen maritime boundary surveillance and duty to prevent recurrence of such unfortunate events, and to establish a system that records the entire process of maritime crackdown to avoid minor mistakes or misunderstandings in the future."
In particular, the North stated, "We convey our apologies for the unpleasant incident that occurred in our waters, which clearly acts as an unfavorable factor in inter-Korean relations. Our leadership repeatedly emphasized the need to be more vigilant and alert so that the trust and respect built up, albeit slightly, between the North and South recently will not collapse due to this regrettable incident, and to devise necessary safety measures."
The North conveyed its intention to be more vigilant and alert along with an apology based on the investigation results.
The North stated, "Comrade Chairman Kim Jong-un expressed deep regret and asked to convey his sincere apologies to President Moon Jae-in and the South Korean compatriots, who are already suffering from the threat of the malignant virus disease, for the unexpected and unfortunate incident that occurred in our waters, which added great disappointment instead of help."
Meanwhile, a senior Blue House official explained, "There are parts that differ from the comprehensive judgment based on our military intelligence, and continuous investigation and understanding are necessary. The North also said that it is based on their investigation so far."
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