KCNA Commentary Demands S. Korean Side Make Apology and Compensation for Damage Done to Ship of North

Pyongyang, March 15 (KCNA) -- As already reported, south Korean ship Highny bumped against the north's ship Turubong-3 in the East Sea of Korea in October last year, causing a serious damage and taking to flight. This was deliberate and barbarous gansterism in the sea to dampen the spirit of all service personnel and people of the DPRK mounting on the threshold of the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea and invent a pretext for inciting confrontation. However, the south Korean side made neither apology nor compensation for the incident. This is a gangster-like behavior. According to international law, when a disaster happens in a sea, every ship is obliged to help distress-torn ship and an assailant is obliged to unconditionally pay indemnities for the damage. The crime committed by the above-said south Korean ship is obviously an unethical and inhumane one, a wanton breach of the UN Law of the Sea. It is none other than the group of traitors who is leading the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a war by staging the large-scale joint military exercises. It is another unpardonable criminal act against human rights that such arch criminals are using the tense situation as a smokescreen for covering up their unethical and inhumane crime. The DPRK will resolutely counter any act of impairing its dignity and honor and destroying the product of the precious sweat and blood of its people and force the south Korean side to make an apology and compensation for the damage under any circumstances. -0-