On Nov. 19, the 14th anniversary of the start of the tour of Mt. Kumgang the Lee group let a spokesman for the Ministry of Unification talk nonsense that "the north should guarantee the safety of tourists" and "it should show sincerity towards the talks between the authorities in the south and the north", shamelessly shifting the blame for the suspended tour of Mt. Kumgang on to the DPRK.

It went the length of crying out for a "halt to foreigners' tour", not content with decrying international tour of Mt. Kumgang this or that way.

This is nothing but shameless sophism and another confrontation ruckus to cover up its criminal act of derailing the tour of Mt. Kumgang, symbolic of north-south reconciliation and cooperation.

As known to everybody, south Koreans' tour of Mt. Kumgang started in Nov. 1998 according to the agreement reached between the DPRK and south Korean Hyundai Group and had been under way for nearly ten years since the publication of the June 15 joint declaration.

Since the seizure of power the Lee Myung Bak group and the "Saenuri Party" had persistently disturbed the tour, claiming it was someone's "financial resource." They unilaterally suspended it in July 2008 under the pretext of the case of a Mt. Kumgang tourist and have blocked south Koreans' tour though four years passed since then.

As far as the above-mentioned case is concerned, it was the case in which an unidentified person of south Korea illegally intruded into the area under the military control of the DPRK side at dawn after going beyond the tour area and the person met death as she refused to comply with check-up. So, the south side was wholly to blame for this incident as it failed to properly control the trespasser.

But the DPRK side did not question about the blame from the humanitarian and compatriotic viewpoint no matter how the incident occurred but let those concerned of the south side immediately come to the scene and directly investigate and confirm it and expressed regret for the happening.

A particular mention should be made of the fact that the DPRK side gave the surest assurances for the safety of south Korean tourists on the highest level during the visit of the chairperson of Hyundai Group to Pyongyang in August 2009 in that regard.

It was something unprecedented in world history that the top leader of the state personally gave assurances for the safety of tourists and took a special measure for it.

Anyone recognizes and agrees that nothing was clearer and surer guarantee than this as it was an expression of the best care shown for the south Koreans who wish to tour Mt. Kumgang.

This being a hard fact, the south Korean authorities and the ruling party dared defame even the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK, asserting that they "could not recognize the agreement made at a non-governmental level."

They unreasonably shunned our proposal for dialogue for the resumption of tour, persistently insisting on the "three conditions" including the guarantee of safety.

Even after they were compelled to appear at the talks by the mounting criticism of their behavior, they behaved arrogantly though our side broadmindedly gave assurances for safety at authorities' level and presented a draft agreement on it. They, however, stooped to such hooliganism as walking out of the conference room.

The puppet conservative group rudely blocked even the contact with non-governmental businesses of south Korea including Hyundai Group. It ran the whole gamut of obstructions, malignantly slandering our international tour of Mt Kumgang and interfering with our activities overseas. This behavior only brought shame to the group.

The smear campaign kicked off by them over the issue of tour of Mt Kumgang is nothing but a ridiculous behavior of those who are going reckless, unaware of to whom Mt Kumgang belongs. This is, at the same time, a serious infringement upon our sovereignty.

All facts go to prove that it was none other than the Lee group and the "Saenuri Party" in league with it that brought the tour to suspension and collapse and their talk about "guarantee of safety" and "talks between the authorities" is no more than sheer sophism intended to evade the responsibility for it and escape public censure. The Lee group is not entitled to talk about the tour of Mt. Kumgang no matter how frequently it may vociferate about it.

Talking about "resumption of Mt. Kumgang tour" and "urgent talks" is aimed not to open the way for resumption of the tour but mislead the public opinion in a bid to evade the responsibility of the suspended tour and calm down the mounting demand for the resumption with the approach of the "presidential" election and block the tour under the rule of the next-term regime.

With nothing the puppet forces can cover up the hideous crimes blocking the tour and bedeviling the north-south relations. The south Korean regime can never flee from the responsibility for the crimes.

No matter how desperately the Lee group of traitors and the "Saenuri Party" may try, they cannot put down wishes and demands of the south Korean people for the resumption of the tour. Scenic Mt. Kumgang will rapidly be prosperous as a symbol of reconciliation, unity, peace and reunification amid the concern of the whole nation and the world and an international resort, the pride of the Korean nation.

The south Korean people should heighten vigilance against the moves of the conservative group including the "Saenuri Party" to block the tour of Mt. Kumgang. They should never allow the confrontation maniacs to stay in power for the resumption of the tour.