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| Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyu announces the result of Park Geun-hye during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea December 9, 2016. (File photo by=Kim Hong-Ji/AFP) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] A joint inter-Korean investigation into a recent killing of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korean soldiers should be carried out as soon as possible, the South's prime minister said Monday.
"Like it or not, (the two Koreas) cannot but foster peace through communication. In order to prevent this incident from developing into a serious hindrance, a fact-finding probe must be conducted as soon as possible," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a radio interview.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un apologized for the incident Friday in a message sent by the United Front Department, a key espionage agency handling inter-Korean affairs. However, they claimed that his body wasn’t set on fire.The prime minister said: "Both sides would accept the results if the probe is conducted jointly. I see no reason it can't be carried out jointly."Chung also stressed the importance of restoring severed South-North communication channels.
Regarding plans by some hard-line conservatives to hold anti-government rallies this week, Chung said that the people's right to protest "isn't more important than people's lives and safety." On Sunday, Chung warned the government will take a zero-tolerance policy against any unsanctioned demonstrations on National Foundation Day on Saturday, warning illegal participants will face immediate arrest.
