DPRK's involvement in Cheonan case is framed up - Rodong Sinmun.

16/6 Tass 96

PYONGYANG, June 16 (Itar-Tass) - The case of Pyongyang's involvement
in the sinking of South Korea's Cheonan corvette in the Yellow Sea in late
March "was framed up by the United States from beginning to end," a
commentary published in the DPRK's Rodong Sinmun daily /Newspaper of the
workers/ said on Wednesday.
The DPRK "did not have any reasons to act so," the commentary said.
"The DPRK is deeply involved in its economic development and it is
necessary for the country to secure peaceful situation in the region."
Besides, "our country is permanently supporting the uniting of the two
parts of the Korean Peninsula," and that is why the DPRK "has nothing to
do with this incident."
The international community "also doubts" the results of the Seoul
meetings of the so-called expert committee which claimed Pyongyang's
responsibility for the incident in the Yellow Sea, the commentary said.
The newspaper is convinced that it was the United States who used the
incident with the Cheonan corvette in its own interests to destabilise the
situation in the Asia-Pacific region and to improve its influence there.
This approach "enables Washington to approve its military presence in
South Korea and Japan."
South Korea's Cheonan corvette of 1,200 tonnes displacement broke in
two and sank in the Yellow Sea near the Northern Limit Line, 46 sailors
died.
South Korea's investigation commission, where foreign experts
participated, claimed that a torpedo launched from DPRK's submarine sank
the corvette. Pyongyang refuses categorically its involvement in the
tragedy and accuses Washington and Seoul of a provocation.

-0-kar/gor


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