ID :
165996
Sat, 03/05/2011 - 13:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/165996
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea threatens to use 'every means' to repatriate its 31 nationals
(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with N. Korea's threats; CHANGES headline)
SEOUL (Yonhap) - A feud between the two Koreas, already locked in sharp military tensions, over the repatriation of a group of North Koreans whose boat drifted into the South intensified Saturday, as Pyongyang openly threatened to use "every possible means" to resolve the issue.
South Korea maintained its position to handle the matter by international law and on a humanitarian basis.
The boat carrying 31 North Koreans -- 11 men and 20 women -- strayed across the Yellow Sea border into South Korean waters a month ago.
Of them, 27 expressed their wish to return home while the remaining four asked for defection, authorities said after weeks of questioning.
Seoul tried to repatriate the 27 North Koreans via the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Friday but the North refused to receive them, demanding the return of the others as well.
Pyongyang's officials news agency KCNA reported Saturday that the North sent a verbal notice to the South demanding an "unconditional and prompt repatriation of all of its 31 detained inhabitants and their ship through the waters to which they had drifted."
The KCNA quoted the notice, which it said was delivered on Friday, as adding that, "The DPRK side will not remain a passive onlooker to this case but will use every possible means to solve it." The DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"If the South Korean authorities do not comply with the DPRK's just demand, it will seriously affect the North-South relations and the south side will be held wholly accountable for it," the notice said, according to the KCNA.
South Korean officials did not budge. They said they will contact North Korea early next week and urge it to cooperate in repatriating the 27 people who wish to return to the North.
"As a liaison office at Panmunjom is closed during the weekend, we will call North Korea on March 7 and demand it receive its 27 people," a government official said on the condition of anonymity.
Officers from the North and South stationed in Panmunjom correspond by phone twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
South Korea said it will respect a decision by each North Korean citizen who strayed into its territory as to whether to stay here or return to the North in accordance with international law and humanitarianism.
SEOUL (Yonhap) - A feud between the two Koreas, already locked in sharp military tensions, over the repatriation of a group of North Koreans whose boat drifted into the South intensified Saturday, as Pyongyang openly threatened to use "every possible means" to resolve the issue.
South Korea maintained its position to handle the matter by international law and on a humanitarian basis.
The boat carrying 31 North Koreans -- 11 men and 20 women -- strayed across the Yellow Sea border into South Korean waters a month ago.
Of them, 27 expressed their wish to return home while the remaining four asked for defection, authorities said after weeks of questioning.
Seoul tried to repatriate the 27 North Koreans via the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Friday but the North refused to receive them, demanding the return of the others as well.
Pyongyang's officials news agency KCNA reported Saturday that the North sent a verbal notice to the South demanding an "unconditional and prompt repatriation of all of its 31 detained inhabitants and their ship through the waters to which they had drifted."
The KCNA quoted the notice, which it said was delivered on Friday, as adding that, "The DPRK side will not remain a passive onlooker to this case but will use every possible means to solve it." The DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"If the South Korean authorities do not comply with the DPRK's just demand, it will seriously affect the North-South relations and the south side will be held wholly accountable for it," the notice said, according to the KCNA.
South Korean officials did not budge. They said they will contact North Korea early next week and urge it to cooperate in repatriating the 27 people who wish to return to the North.
"As a liaison office at Panmunjom is closed during the weekend, we will call North Korea on March 7 and demand it receive its 27 people," a government official said on the condition of anonymity.
Officers from the North and South stationed in Panmunjom correspond by phone twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
South Korea said it will respect a decision by each North Korean citizen who strayed into its territory as to whether to stay here or return to the North in accordance with international law and humanitarianism.
