North Korea raps Japan for remarks on end-of-war declaration
North Korea's state-controlled media criticized Japan's top diplomat Sunday for his negative view on declaring an end to the Korean War anytime soon.
The criticism is seen to reflect Pyongyang's yearning for security assurances associated with such a declaration.
The two Koreas plan to hold another round of summit talks next week in the North's capital. And the end-of-war declaration will apparently be among the key agenda items, along with Pyongyang's denuclearization.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, however, said publicly such a declaration is premature amid no progress in efforts to denuclearize North Korea.
"In conclusion, the nonsense of Kono clearly shows Japan's wicked intention to hide the wretched situation that it has been completely marginalized from the surrounding structure and to poke into the regional issue by inciting the confrontation atmosphere," Pyongyang's official news agency KCNA said in an English-language commentary.
It added, "The trend of the times is dialogue and peace, which no one can deny and go against them."
It is the "firm stand and will of North Korea to completely remove the danger of an armed conflict and the fear of war on the Korean peninsula and turn it into the place of peace and this is commanding positive supports and deep sympathy of the world people," the KCNA stressed. (Yonhap)