Pyongyang, June 11 (KCNA) -- Former South Korean "president" Roh Tae Woo in a "recorded memoirs", an interview with a journalist of worst type, Jo Kap Je of the newspaper Chosun Ilbo some days ago, let loose a string of tirade. Roh claimed that his remarks were based on what was said by the former deputy prime minister of Japan Shin Kanemaru, who visited Pyongyang in September 1990 as head of the joint delegation of the Liberal Democratic Party and the then Socialist Party of Japan.
He said, "when meeting Shin Kanemaru, who came to Seoul after visiting Pyongyang, I asked if the eight agenda items were agreed upon between the Worker's Party of Korea and the Japanese party delegation at the request of the north, not at his own will, he answered, 'you are right.' "This is a cock-and-bull story. Roh in his "recorded memoirs" claimed that when he asked Shin Kanemaru if he visited Pyongyang leaving aside the south, "allured" by the north, Kanemaru made an "apology" from the bottom of his heart.
It does not hold water to assert that Shin Kanemaru, who was considered to be influential in the then Japanese political circles and unshakable in his political faith, was "allured" by someone and, moreover, he made an "apology" to Roh Tae Woo upon whom he looked down as a worthless fellow.
Although the South Korean authorities launched a "protest" campaign over the adoption of the three-party joint declaration and Roh Tae Woo was trying to keep him from visiting Pyongyang, Shin Kanemaru stated "I am a man who should take the path I have chosen". He reiterated time and again his determination to put into practice what he agreed upon with the north.
At that time, NHK reported as follows: When Roh Tae Woo requested Shin Kanemaru to move for the improvement of the Japan-DPRK relations only after adequate prior consultation with South Korea, to urge the north to accept international inspection of its nuclear facilities and to refrain from making any compensation or giving any economic cooperation before the establishment of diplomatic relations with the DPRK, the latter, displeased with his request, said nothing before flying back to Tokyo without delay.
Nevertheless, Roh Tae Woo did not hesitate to tell sheer lies at a time when Shin Kanemaru is no longer alive, nine years since then. Roh's outburst is so despicable and the aim sought by him is sinister.
Underlying his jargon is his intention to create the impression that he put a brake on the improvement of the DPRK-Japan relations and made a certain "contribution" to "cooperation" with Japan against the north, when he was "president" and thereby secure "support" from right-wing conservative forces and "improve" even a bit his miserable image after serving a prison term and as he has been driven to a tight corner for irregularities.
No matter how hard Roh Tae Woo may try to falsify the truth to realise his ulterior intention, it is in vain. This only lays bare his true colors as a political mountebank and an immoral fellow.
While in power, Roh aggravated the north-south confrontation and pushed back the movement for national reunification through his anti-national and anti-reunification moves.
Today he is slandering even the departed foreign politician through fabrications and intrigues and inciting anti-north confrontation though he is at death's door. He should immediately make an apology for this dastardly behaviour.
The present South Korean authorities should not pay lip service to "reconciliation" and "cooperation" but refrain from conniving at and encouraging those who distort history and falsify the truth with all sorts of political swindles in South Korea and who incite anti-communist confrontation and should punish them.