Reply #8: South Korea continues to refuse to let N Korea see the evidence.

[Prometheus Bound]

DPRK urges South Korea to receive DPRK inspectors
English.news.cn 2010-05-22 17:19:38 FeedbackPrintRSS

PYONGYANG, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic Korea (DPRK) on Saturday urged South Korea to receive an inspection group to be dispatched by the National Defense Commission (NDC) of the DPRK to verify evidence related to the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, the official KCNA news agency reported.

The request was made by Kim Yong Chun, vice-chairmen of the National Defense Commission (NDC), in a notice to South Korea.

South Korea on Thursday announced the outcome of investigations over the sinking incident of the Cheonan warship made by a multinational team, which said the warship that went into waters near a tense maritime border with the DPRK in March was torpedoed by the DPRK.

The DPRK on Thursday immediately rejected Seoul's claims that it sank the warship by a submarine, and said it would dispatch inspectors to South Korea to verify Seoul's claim.

In an earlier message to South Korea, Kim said the DPRK would send an inspection group through the west coastal area under the joint control of the north and the south at 10:00 a.m. on May 22.

However, the request was turned down by South Korea, which said it could not receive the inspectors and that a scientific and objective investigation conducted by South Korean and foreign experts finally confirmed that the ship was sunk by DPRK torpedo, according to the KCNA.

According to the KCNA, Seoul's rejection of the DPRK inspectors "can not be construed otherwise than a move to prevent the true nature of its conspiratorial farce and charade from being brought to light."

The report said the case was faked by the south and there was no ground whatsoever for the south to refuse to receive the NDC inspection group if the results of the investigation were objective and scientific as claimed by the south.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/22/c_13309822.htm

North Korea Restates Demand to Inspect Ship Sinking Evidence
May 22, 2010, 12:07 PM EDT
y Seonjin Cha
May 22 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea restated its demand that it be allowed to inspect evidence gathered by an international panel that links the communist country with the sinking of a South Korean warship.
North Korea’s National Defense Commission sent a further notice that it will dispatch an inspection team to South Korea to probe the results of the investigating panel, the official Korean Central News Agency said today. South Korea yesterday informed the government of Kim Jong Il that it rejected a similar demand made on May 20.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-22/north-korea-restates-demand-to-inspect-ship-sinking-evidence.html