S. Korea voices deep concerns about Jang Song-thaek's execution

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-12-13 11:38:14

South Korea expressed deep concerns about a series of occurrences in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including execution of Jang Song-Thaek, uncle-in- law of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Friday.

"The government is closely monitoring the series of incidents, which are happening in North Korea (DPRK), with deep concerns," Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Eui-do said in a televised statement.

Kim said that South Korea will make a full readiness against all possibilities in the DPRK, noting that it will closely consult with its allies and related countries.

The statement came after Kim Jang-soo, chief security adviser to President Park Geun-hye, held a national security policy coordination meeting with ministers of defense and unification as well as intelligence agency head after Jang's execution was announced.

Jang, 67, uncle of Kim Jong Un and widely viewed as the DPRK's No. 2 man, was executed Thursday immediately after the Special Military Tribunal convicted him of committing "unforgivable crime as traitor."

The deposed senior general, who was vice chairman of the National Defense Commission and secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) administration department, admitted at the trial that he has premeditated a coup against Kim Jong Un.

Jang was stripped of all posts and titles for "anti-party and counter-revolutionary crime" after the Politburo of the WPK Central Committee on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang offered on Wednesday to hold the fourth meeting of the joint management committee in charge of running the joint factory park in the DPRK's border town of Kaesong, the spokesman said.

Kim said that Seoul accepted the proposal to hold such talks on Dec. 19. The third round of such meeting was held in mid-September.

The DPRK also allowed Group of 20 (G20) finance officials to visit the Kaesong industrial complex on Dec. 19, the spokesman said.

Around 30 representatives from G20 member countries, including finance ministers of Australia and Russia as well as officials from the International Monetary Fund, Bank for International Settlement and Asia Development Bank, will visit Seoul to participate in the G20 Seoul conference scheduled for two days through Dec. 19.

The planned visit by the representatives was expected to contribute to the internalization of the joint industrial zone, the spokesman said, noting that the officials who can help the DPRK draw foreign investment will have the opportunity to better understand the Kaesong industrial complex through the visit.

The spokesman said that Pyongyang was seeing Jang Song-Thaek's execution as an internal affair that should be separated from the issue of the Kaesong industrial complex, noting that the DPRK was expected to deal with the factory park issue as scheduled.



Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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