Pyongyang, May 22 (KCNA) -- The Lee Myung Bak group of traitors is misleading the public opinion at home and abroad by asserting that the sinking of its warship "Cheonan" was caused by the DPRK's torpedo attack in a deliberate effort to link the case with it. In this connection the National Defence Commission of the DPRK clarified its principled stand that it would dispatch an inspection group to the spot in south Korea.
According to it, the north side sent a notice to the south side, informing it that the DPRK would send the inspection group through the area under the joint control of the north and the south in the west coastal area at 10:00 on May 22 and urging the latter to take measures for its field activities including its passage through the Military Demarcation Line and guarantee of its safety.

The group of traitors, however, sent a reply notice in which it said that it could not receive the inspection group of the north side, asserting that a scientific and objective investigation conducted by south Korean and foreign experts finally confirmed that the ship was sunken by the torpedo attack by the DPRK, this issue should be handled within the framework of the Armistice Agreement and that the north should just "take sincere approach" toward the issue upon receiving the results of the investigation, etc.

A particular mention should be made of the fact that Kim Thae Yong, puppet minister of Defence, in a public appearance took issue with the DPRK's stand on dispatching the inspection group. He went the lengths of crying out for "appropriate compensation" and "resolute action", once again revealing his true colors as a wicked confrontation maniac and military gangster.

It is a universally known fact that the issues related to the West Sea of Korea have been handled by the militaries of the north and the south.

The U.S. administration, too, officially clarified in the past that the issue of the West Sea of Korea was not a matter to be governed by it.

This being a hard fact, the group of traitors turned down the proposal of the NDC of the DPRK for dispatching the inspection group under the pretext of the already defunct "Military Armistice Commission". This 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 minister of the People's Armed Forces of the NDC of the DPRK again sent the following notice to the south side on May 22 as the south side clarified its stand not to receive the inspection group of the NDC:

The reply notice dated May 21 sent by the south side is nothing but a vicious provocation and shameless brigandish sophism once again hurling mud at the dignity of the DPRK.

It was the south side that linked the case with the north from the very day it occurred and it was again the south side that finally declared confrontation with the north before and after the publication of a "report on the results of the joint investigation".

It is the stand of the north side that there is no justification to plug such bogus mechanism as the "Military Armistice Commission" into the case as it was faked up by the south side to be an issue between the north and the south from its outset.

The south side should take a due step for receiving the inspection group of the NDC of the DPRK as required by Paragraph 10 of Chapter 2 of the North-South Basic Agreement on Non-Aggression and Paragraph 8 of Chapter 2 of its appendix.

There is no ground whatsoever for the south side to refuse to receive the inspection group of the NDC if the results of the investigation are objective and scientific as claimed by the south side.

The south side should immediately receive the inspection group as already clarified by the DPRK internally and externally and produce material evidence without a shred of doubt before it.

The Lee Myung Bak group of traitors should unconditionally receive the inspection group and clarify the truth in the eyes of the world.