North Korea: "West Sea Incident, South Side Primarily Responsible for Failing to Control Residents... Bodies Being Searched"

"Accidental Incidents Should Not Drive Inter-Korean Relations to Ruin"

On the 19th, the Mugunghwa 15 high-speed patrol boat conducted a search operation near Soyeonpyeongdo, Yeonpyeong-myeon, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, for the government official who was killed by North Korean gunfire last month.

Regarding the incident in which a Korean citizen was killed by gunfire from North Korean forces in the West Sea, North Korea claimed on the 30th that "the South side bears primary responsibility for causing this unfortunate incident."

On the same day, North Korea stated through the 'Korean Central News Agency report' that "due to the malignant virus sweeping across the entire South Korea, during a more tense and perilous time than ever, the incident occurred because the South side failed to properly manage and control its residents in a sensitive hotspot maritime area."

The news agency continued, "We have made our best efforts to find the deceased's body in the maritime area of the West Sea and return it to the family, but have yet to see results," adding, "We regret this and the relevant departments have decided to continue taking necessary measures."

It further explained, "Our position is that we hope the unpleasant precedent where an accidental incident drove inter-Korean relations to a catastrophe will never be repeated."

Additionally, the incident was described as "an unexpected misfortune that no one desires," emphasizing, "To prevent further deterioration of trust and respect between the North and South, we conveyed the intentions of our supreme leadership by immediately notifying the investigation results of the incident and expressed our apologies for the regrettable incident that occurred in our maritime area."

The news agency also criticized, "Conservative forces in South Korea, including the 'People Power Party,' are running wild, covered in blood, recklessly slandering their own people by calling it a 'massacre' and 'human rights violation,'" and accused them of "making this incident an opportunity to achieve their dirty political goals by creating a chaotic uproar without regard for consequences."

Regarding the controversy over the mutilation of the body, it denied the claims, stating, "The so-called 'mutilation of the body,' which the conservative faction is making such a fuss about, has already been revealed as false by the South Korean military."

The news agency warned, "The excessive slanders from the South aimed at defaming us and the dangerously blatant moves to turn this incident into an international anti-Republic of Korea conspiracy are shaking the limits of our tolerance and goodwill that we have maintained so far," adding, "We preemptively warn that the reckless confrontational acts of the South Korean conservative faction could bring about greater disaster."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.