Pyongyang, November 18 (KCNA) -- Civic and public organizations including the Solidarity for Progress of south Korea held a press conference in Seoul on November 14 urging the Lee Myung Bak group to stop the suppression of the progressive forces.

A press release read out at the conference assailed the puppet police for arresting O Jong Ryol, co-chairman of the above-said solidarity, and Ju Je Jun, its general secretary, on Nov. 13 after branding them as "elements behind" candlelight actions staged in protest against the U.S. beef import.

Accusing the Lee Myung Bak group of painting the solidarity as "a force behind candlelight actions" though it is nothing but a fiction aimed at inventing a justification for suppressing the people, the press release held that the story was fabricated by them to serve the political purpose of the present regime.

The press release termed the Lee group's suppression of the people under the pretext of security a clear retaliation against the candlelight actions and a "campaign of suppression" targeted against the solidarity.

It strongly urged the Lee group to stop at once the reckless moves to crack down not only upon the solidarity but upon all other progressive movement forces under the pretext of security and immediately release the arrested members of the solidarity.