The south Korean authorities in a statement of a spokesman for the Unification Ministry said that it is "very regretful" that the north declined the dialogue offer and shifted the responsibility and the "north is entirely to blame" for the suspension of the operation in the KIZ and the lack of the south-north consultation. They even said that the north's measure of allowing businessmen to take out goods was an act that aroused skepticism about its sincerity and it was distortion of truth.

They branded the DPRK's regular military exercises as a "provocation" even though they stage mad-cap nuclear war exercises against it with the involvement of the U.S. super-large nuclear carrier. they even made absurd remarks intentionally linking the exercises with the KIZ.

The mastermind who pushed the KIZ into the phase of a catastrophe talked about "regret", "responsibility" and "sincerity", shameless sophism distorting the essence of the situation.

The south Korean authorities are busy making excuses following the publication of the DPRK's magnanimous measure over the KIZ issue.

Had they responded to the DPRK's offer, the KIZ would not have reached such a phase as now, to say nothing of the phase of taking out raw materials and products.

But they have resorted to a sleight of hand, concealing their sinister design. This resulted in the huge damage to the innocent south Korean businessmen.

The south Korean authorities claim to have deep interest in the livelihood of the businessmen. But as was proved by a recent statement, they kept silence about the normalization of the operation in the KIZ and touched only on the issue of taking out raw materials and products. This proves that they are not pleased with the resumption of the operation in the KIZ.

What is more urgent than the taking out of the products is whether to keep or break the KIZ.

This is an issue on which hinges the living of the south Korean businessmen and the future of the north-south relations.

What the south Koreans truly want today is the normalization of the operation in the KIZ rather than the taking out of the products from the KIZ.

Now is the time for the south Korean authorities to state before the public whether it has intent to fundamentally settle the KIZ issue or not.

They should not try to distort the essence of the issue and deceive the public but clarify its stand on this issue.

Their attitude will affect the DPRK's decision.