The statement recalled the fact that the Lee grouphas recently appointed Ryu Jong Ha as president of the Red Cross who has to perform a humanitarian role in improving the inter-Korean relations though he took the lead in sycophancy toward the U.S. and anti-reunification treacherous acts as minister of "Foreign Affairs" in the period of the "civilian" dictatorial regime.

This action is aimed at blocking the reconciliation, unity, exchange and cooperation of the nation and thereby disturbing humanitarian undertakings between the south and the north, the statement noted, and continued:

The Lee group publicly pretends to "respect" the June 15 joint declaration and the Oct. 4 declaration but behaves quite contrary to this behind the scene by appointing to the above-said post an anti-reunification element steeped in the idea of confrontation to the marrow of his bones in a bid to persistently pursue the policy of confrontation with the DPRK, fellow countrymen and further strain the inter-Korean relations.

The Lee group has perpetrated frantic suppression of progressive organizations for the reunification movement and figures devotedly struggling for the implementation of the above-said declarations under the pretext of "security" while conniving at the anti-reunification forces' scattering of leaflets and smear campaign against the DPRK.

The Lee regime should immediately fire Ryu, though belatedly, as he is a running dog of the anti-DPRK and anti-reunification forces.