On Dec. 17, Minister of Unification Hong Yong Phyo, in reference to the rupture of the talks, said "must-principles can never be violated" and "it is unlikely to agree on the resumption of the tour of Mt. Kumgang in return for the solution to the issue of separated families".

A commentary of Minju Joson Wednesday brands this as a revelation of the sinister intention to shift the responsibility for the rupture of the talks on to the DPRK and justify the confrontation moves.

The south side, in wanton violation of the agreement made at technical contact for the north-south authorities' talks, deliberately created difficulties and obstacles and categorically rejected the discussion of issues, which were agreed at the technical contact, intentionally pushing the talks to a rupture, the news analyst says, and goes on:

It is the height of impudence that the south side has gone desperate in its moves to shift the blame on to the DPRK while misleading the public opinion to make it believe that the "north insisted on the resumption of the tour to get some benefits". The south Korean authorities' sycophantic treachery of submitting to the U.S. to solve even national issues with the "approval" of the U.S. has been one of the reasons that plunged the authorities' talks into a stalemate.

The south Korean conservative ruling forces have not discarded their inveterate concept of escalating confrontation with fellow countrymen. Yet, they trumpet about the resumption of the talks which is little short of a treacherous act of mocking the nation.