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The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) repeated its call Friday for a meeting with its South Korean counterpart over four detained DPRK fisherpersons. The DPRK society demanded the two sides meet as early as possible "to discuss the matter of face-to-face confirmation of the will" of the four DPRK inhabitants and their repatriation, the official KCNA news agency reported. If South Korean authorities did not meet the demand and persistently refused to repatriate the detainees, "this will be little short of admitting themselves their abduction and operations to force them to 'defect' to the south," the report said. The notice also warned that South Korean authorities would be held wholly accountable for the grave impact on inter-Korean relations, the report said. In early February, South Korean authorities detained 31 DPRK piscators who the KCNA said "had gone adrift to the south side due to rough waves." In late March, 27 of the detainees were sent back to the DPRK. South Korean authorities said the remaining four had chosen not to return. The DPRK said it would not accept the defection claim until the four directly confirmed it to DPRK officials. The DPRK Red Cross Society had earlier sent two notices to its South Korean counterpart, on March 30 and April 1, calling for an inter-Korean Red Cross working contact to discuss the matter, but the South Korean side rejected the proposals. Earlier this week, the DPRK Red Cross Society released a statement disclosing what it called "the truth about the inhuman act" perpetrated by South Korean authorities against the DPRK detainees. |
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