It is the politically motivated shameless provocation to resort to a futile military adventure to preserve the illegal "northern limit line" still today when the times have changed.

Warships of the navy of the south Korean forces described the exercise of the right to self-defence by a patrol boat of the north side as "an act of trespassing on the above-said line" and preempted the firing of direct sighting shots and "shots aimed at destroying it", not "warning shots" though they were well aware that the patrol boat and its crew sailed to confirm an unidentified object. This was an inexcusable deliberate and open military provocation.

The rash action perpetrated by them, firing thousands of bullets and shells with several warships involved at a time was a premeditated action of the rightwing conservative forces and bellicose military group of the south side to stem the trend of the situation on the Korean Peninsula which has shown a sign of detente through the third skirmish in the West Sea.

Upon the authorization, I notify the south side of the following principled stand of the KPA on the gravity of the incident:

1. The south side should make an apology to the nation for orchestrating the recent incident and putting it into practice and take a proper measure to promptly punish the prime movers of the incident as maniacs of confrontation with fellow countrymen and harassers of peace.

2. The south side should behave with discretion as required by the times and the desire of the nation, clearly mindful that its stand to preserve the "northern limit line" no longer works.

3. Reminding again that there exists in the West Sea of Korea only the extension of the Military Demarcation Line in the waters set by the KPA side, it will take merciless military measures to defend the extension from this moment.

4. The south side will be held fully accountable for having disturbed the reconciliation and unity of the nation and hamstrung the efforts to achieve peace and reunification and have to pay a dear price for them.