People Party: "No Genuine Apology from Bukhan... A Joint South-North Investigation Team Must Be Formed to Determine the Truth"

"Notification Content Is Merely the Perpetrator's One-Sided Claim"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 25th, the People’s Party stated that there is “no genuine meaning of apology” in the notification sent by North Korea regarding Chairman Kim Jong-un’s expression of being “deeply sorry” about the shooting incident involving the missing public official from Yeonpyeong Island.

In a commentary on the same day, Ahn Hye-jin, spokesperson for the People’s Party, said, “The content of the notification from the North Korean authorities, which claims that they took rightful actions according to the approved rules of conduct for maritime boundary duty after an investigation into the circumstances, is merely a one-sided assertion by the perpetrator.”

Spokesperson Ahn added, “What we can clearly understand from the notification is the fact that the North Korean military fired shots at a civilian, which is unacceptable under any circumstances,” and emphasized, “The government must not feel relieved by the perpetrator’s explanation.”

She further stated, “Regardless of the North’s explanation, the president’s complacent response and the military’s disappointing behavior are intolerable. There must also be a clear explanation regarding the facts that directly contradict the Ministry of National Defense’s briefing and the North’s notification,” and urged, “The government should stop merely chanting peace slogans and must form a joint investigation team between the South and the North to ascertain the truth.”

Spokesperson Ahn concluded, “The government should demand a clear and unequivocal explanation about the discrepancies between the North’s notification and the military’s announcement, and strictly require the North to punish those responsible and implement measures to prevent recurrence.”