It also inflicted penalties upon three pro-reunification champions including the co-representative of the Solidarity for Progress of south Korea on the groundless charge that they sympathized with the assertion of the north in June last year.

A spokesman for the North Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration in a statement on January 29 branded these actions as outrageous acts of wantonly violating the elementary human rights of human being, conscience and the freedom to discuss reunification and conduct activities for it and unpardonable fascist tyranny escalating confrontation between compatriots.

Rev. Han's objective of Pyongyang visit and what he did during his stay here can never be a crime as he did entirely laudable and just activities for preserving and implementing the north-south joint declaration and achieving national reconciliation and unity and independent reunification, the statement held, and went on:

Neither genuine human rights nor any progress in the inter-Korean relations is expected as long as fascism and confrontation are rampant and harsh political persecution and suppression of pro-reunification champions are going on.

The south Korean authorities should roll back their policy of confrontation with fellow countrymen, abolish the "National Security Law", the fascist law dating back to the old era, retract the unreasonable punishment imposed on the champions and set them free at once.

If they persist in the suppression of the pro-reunification patriotic personages, blocking as ever contact and visits between the north and the south contrary to the aspiration and requirements of the compatriots, they will not be able to escape self-destruction in face of stronger rebuff and denunciation from the public at home and abroad.