Referring to the fact that the "ministry" did not grant the application made by monks of the Buddhist Jogye Order for working contact with the north, the statement branded it as an act of chilling the process for the inter-Korean cooperation and exchange.

The "ministry", which has to seek the way for putting an end to the sufferings of the Korean nation who has been divided for more than half a century, is keen only on the anti-reunification moves, utterly disregarding all the successes made after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration, it charged.

It warned that the present "government" and the "ministry" would surely face the stern judgment by all the fellow countrymen as they are trying to turn back the wheel of history, stemming the reunification movement of the patriotic people desirous of the development of the south-north relations, peace and prosperity of the nation and one country.