The All-Korean Committee for Implementation of June 15 Joint Declaration was to hold a meeting of its co-chairpersons in Kaesong on May 23 in order to discuss the orientation of its future action and the matter of conducting joint commemorations of the 11th anniversary of the joint declaration.

But the ministry barred the South Side Committee from attending the meeting under the pretext of "May 24 measure", thus bringing it to rupture.