A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland says in a statement issued on December 19 in this regard:

A spate of remarks made by the Lee Myung Bak group about "dialogue", while pretending to be interested in the improved north-south relations are nothing but a deceptive artifice to evade their responsibility for having pushed the north-south relations that have favorably developed since the publication of the June 15 joint declaration to stalemate, get rid of their isolation at home and abroad caused by their hostile policy toward the DPRK and mislead the domestic and foreign public opinion.

The north-south dialogue should be conducted on the principle of wiping out mistrust and putting an end to the confrontation between the two sides and subordinating everything to national unity and reunification. Dialogue should not be misused as a platform for seeking a sinister political purpose, inciting confrontation with fellow countrymen and perpetuating the country's division.

The south Korean conservative ruling forces, however, totally negated the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, landmarks for reunification common to the nation, pursuant to such confrontational policy as "no nukes, opening and 3,000 dollars" from the outset of their office, converting the north-south relations characterized by reconciliation, unity and reunification into those of antipathy and hostility through confrontation with the DPRK and war moves and thereby completely losing the qualification as a dialogue partner.

The Lee group have gone the lengths of openly crying out for "unification under the liberal democratic system" in a foolish bid to bring down the system in the DPRK while talking about "an emergency situation" and adopting "unification through absorption," a day-dream, and war of aggression against the DPRK as their "final goals". It is ridiculous for such guys to talk about north-south dialogue. This is, at the same time, an intolerable mockery and insult to the whole nation desirous of national unity and reunification.

The south Korean authorities should apologize to the nation for having bedeviled the north-south relations and clarify their stand to implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration, to begin with before uttering any word about "dialogue".