A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee issued a statement Thursday in this regard.

There is no need for our side to sit at the negotiating table with the authorities of the south side any longer now that it has done all it can guarantee the tour of Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong area at the level of its authorities, the statement said, and went on:

By nature the above-said tour started according to the contract between the said committee and Hyundai. Therefore, there is no ground whatsoever for the authorities of the south side to meddle in the issue and say this or that over it.

The south Korean tourists should be allowed to visit famous beauty spots of the nation no matter how the anti-reunification conservative group may try to block it.

We cannot leave the world famous beauty spots unvisited any longer now that there is an increasing request in south Korea and overseas for the tour of them.

Hence, we solemnly declare, as we had already clarified, that we would open the door to the tour of Kaesong area from March and that of Mt. Kumgang from April.

Conveniences and safety will be fully provided for the compatriots entering the area of our side from the south to tour Mt. Kumgang and the area of Kaesong.

The south Korean authorities' persistent blocking of the tour under far-fetched pretexts would compel our side to take decisive measures.

These measures may include the abrogation of all agreements and contracts on the tour provided by our side to the south side as special benefits, the freezing of real estates of the south side in the tourist areas and other matters.

Wether the road of the above-said tour is opened to the compatriots in the south or not will depend on the attitude of the authorities of the south side.

They will be held wholly accountable for all the consequences to be entailed by the failure to resume the tour.