A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry released a statement on Saturday disclosing the sinister aims sought by the Lee group in aggravating the situation through uninterrupted provocations against the DPRK.

It said:

Through those provocations the group seeks to rattle the nerves of the DPRK in a bid to cause it to conduct a nuclear test, though such a thing is not under plan at present, and take such strong retaliatory measures as Yonphyong Island shelling incident, and hype its "belligerent nature." This scenario is aimed to strain the relations between the DPRK and the countries around it and create an atmosphere of putting pressure and sanctions on it.

The Korean Peninsula has turned into a theater of military standoff among big powers and a fuse for a regional war due to the Lee group's policy of confrontation and sycophantic mendicant diplomacy.

It is the disgrace of the Korean nation and tragedy of the present times that such group of traitors exists.

That is why the international community hopes that the Lee group quits as early as possible for the detente on the peninsula and regional peace and stability.

It is in the interests of all the countries aspiring after peace and stability in the region to make the group stop going reckless and step down quietly.

Should there be countries around the peninsula ceaselessly instigating and conniving at the group's dangerous and reckless provocations in an effort to use south Korea for attaining their egoistic purposes even a bit, they will not be able to shirk the responsibility for the ensuing consequences.