The south Korean chief executive, in particular, urged the north to come out for dialogue with "open heart" in order to fundamentally solve the issue of "divided families." She claimed that the north was to blame for the failure to arrange the reunion of "divided families."

A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea in a statement on Friday terms this acts of misinterpreting the essence of the grave situation where the issue of the inter-Korean relations including the reunion of divided families and relatives from the north and the south remain unsettled, and acts of misleading the public. This is an unbearable mockery and insult to the desire of all Koreans for the improved inter-Korean relations and the nation's unity and reunification.

The statement went on:

It was due to such hurdles as the "May 24 steps" taken by the south Korean authorities that reunification events which had been brisk between the north and the south since the publication of the June 15 joint declaration and cooperation undertakings between the north and the south, including joint unearthing of historical relics, academic symposiums, social and cultural exchange and tour of Mt. Kumgang, were suspended overnight and the most urgent humanitarian cooperation undertakings including the reunion of divided families and relatives failed to make progress. All these facts are well known to the world.

Nevertheless, the south Korean authorities are talking a lot about the reunion of "divided families" and "exchange at non-governmental level" after blocking the north-south exchange and cooperation by themselves. This is self-contradictory sophism and height of shamelessness.

No matter how noisily the south Korean authorities may talk about the reunion of "divided families" and "exchange" after building institutional barriers barring the reunion of divided families and relatives, no one will pay heed to those useless wordplays and hypocritical remarks.

Even if the reunion of divided families and relatives takes place with "the May 24 steps" remaining in force, it will only serve the purpose of propaganda and will not help fundamentally settle the issue.

If the south Korean authorities are truly concerned for the humanitarian issue, they should not only pay lip-service to the issue of "divided families" but lift before anything else the steps deliberately taken for confrontation.

If they have true will to settle the issue of the north-south relations including the reunion of divided families and relatives, they should not play poor tricks to misrepresent the essence of the present situation and mislead the public but show their will in practice from a proper stand on the DPRK's just proposal.

The DPRK will follow what change the south Korean authorities will make in their stance together with all the compatriots.