Kim Young-jin
Staff Reporter
The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) asked North Korea Saturday to curb its inflammatory rhetoric regarding the recent sinking of a South Korean Navy ship, saying such statements only ratchet up the already soaring inter-Korean tension.
After a weeks-long multinational investigation, Seoul confirmed last Thursday what had long been suspected ― that on March 26, North Korea torpedoed the 1,200-ton Cheonan near the sea border, killing 46 sailors.
North Korea responded immediately to the announcement, denying involvement and threatening "all-out war" if the South takes punitive measures.
DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun told a political rally in Incheon that such remarks only fuel tensions, leading to decreased stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Speaking in support of DP candidates running in June 2 local elections, Chung warned the incumbent administration not to leverage the tragic incident for political gains in the upcoming polls.
"Deterioration of inter-Korean relations will lead to instability in the stock and foreign exchange markets that can hurt the economy," he said.
Chung also criticized the administration of President Lee Myung-bak, saying that the sinking of the Cheonan exposed its inability to deal properly with national security issues.
"The current administration should not blame the opposition to veil its own incompetence in protecting peace and should desist from using the national tragedy to win votes in the elections," he said.
DP spokesman Woo Sang-ho said Pyongyang should provide the international community with evidence to support its claim of innocence instead of exacerbating regional tension over the incident.
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