The south Korean authorities, while paying lip-service to "positive support for the August 15 joint events" promoted by NGOs of the north and the south, if it take place, staged the farce of allowing the contact with NGOs of the north and, at the same time, let a spokesman for the Ministry of Unification bluster "it is hard to allow political events", an indication of its attempt to scuttle them.

The south Korean authorities are now under fire for aborting the June 15 joint national events. It is, therefore, their calculation that their open scuttling of the planned joint events against the backdrop of the desire for reunification growing stronger in the run-up to the 70th anniversary of national liberation would touch off bitterer criticism of the public at home and abroad.

Lurking behind their gesture is an ulterior intention to scuttle the joint events under the pretext of "depoliticization" and evade their responsibility for the abortive events by creating impressions that they would support the events in case the north and the south "exchange" their delegations to events in Pyongyang and Seoul.

As already reported, the North, South and Overseas Committees for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration decided to hold joint national events as grand festivals of weighty political significance and have discussed relevant issues from the outset of the year, reflecting the unanimous aspiration and desire of all Koreans to improve the north-south relations and pave a broad avenue to national reunification this year marking the 15th anniversary of the June 15 joint declaration and the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation.

In this course, preparatory committees composed of organizations and personages of various circles were inaugurated in the north, the south and abroad to mark the above-said anniversaries, and NGOs in the north, the south and abroad decided to hold the joint national events for marking June 15 in Seoul and those for marking August 15 in Pyongyang and pushed ahead with the preparations for successfully holding the events.

However, the south Korean regime, which has denied the joint declaration and refused to implement it, interfered even in the working contacts between the NGOs from the north, the south and abroad, pressurized the south side's preparatory committee to change the venue of the events already agreed upon and "depoliticize" the events. So, the events for marking June 15 had to be held separately in the north, the south and abroad.

As seen above, the puppet regime cried out for "depoliticizing" the joint events being prepared by the NGOs of the north and the south, not content with scuppering the hard-won opportunity of holding north-south dialogue and repairing the north-south relations. By doing so, the regime self-exposed that it has no will to ensure the events.

To hold with splendor the national conference for reunification to mark August 15 is a manifestation of the principled stand and invariable will of the DPRK to mend the north-south relations and pave a wide avenue to independent reunification at any cost under the banner of By Our Nation Itself.

The conference should serve as an important occasion for all Koreans to strikingly demonstrate their firm will and spirit to achieve independent reunification, recollecting the historical significance of Korea's liberation.

"Depoliticization" of the joint events marking August 15 touted by the south Korean puppet regime is no more than sheer sophism.

This can never be pardoned as it is a mockery and challenge to the aspiration and will of all Koreans to achieve national reconciliation and unity and open up a phase of independent reunification.

No matter what sleight of hand the puppet regime may employ, the national conference for reunification will be held with splendor amid interests of all fellow countrymen.