The chief of the State Security Office of the Blue House, during his recent secret junket to the US, acted so sordidly.

He met with White House National Security Advisor O’Brien, US Secretary of State Pompeo and others, who had been displeased with the "story about discord within the S. Korea-US Alliance" getting worse in recent days, in a bid to curry favour with them.

In particular, at a press conference, he made such foolish remarks that the relations between the south and the north cannot merely be the relations between them and they are the issue to be settled through discussion and consultation with the US and neighbouring countries.

We cannot but doubt his sanity.

The issue of inter-Korean relations is not the one to be solved through dependence on outsiders and discussion with foreign countries and with their help, as they are an internal matter of the Korean nation to be settled by the north and the south, in the true sense of the word.

A question we'd like to ask him is if he, who is proud of having devoted himself to the improvement of inter-Korean relations over the past several decades, does not really know that the main key to the settlement of every matter between the north and the south is the independent settlement by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.

The recent rhetoric which downgraded the sacred north-south relations to be subject to the international relations shows, in essence, the south Korean authorities' wanton denial, perfidy to and an open mockery of the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, the October 4 Declaration, its action programme, the Panmunjom Declaration and the September Pyongyang Joint Declaration which specified national independence as the fundamental core.

It is a fact well known to the world that the present stalemate in the north-south relations is due to the south Korean authorities' act of leaving its destiny in the care and under the control of the US.

However, not coming to their senses yet, they are beseeching the mastermind making a mess of the north-south relations for help, a foolish act little short of asking the robber who broke house property to pieces for help.

The rashness with which he once shouted "theory of driver" and "south and north are responsible for the destiny of the Korean peninsula" is nowhere around now, and he is only cozying up to his master, in fear of getting cast aside.

No wonder, the world public jeered him as an "American poodle steeped in pro-American consciousness to the marrows of his bones".

Proceeding from the level of thinking and behaviour of the chief of the State Security Office allegedly in charge of diplomacy and security, it is nothing strange that he was sent away in the middle of his visit, after getting the cold shoulder, cold reception, shame and disgrace only.

It is said that disgrace and humiliation are what one invites oneself.

Whoever goes without independent consciousness is bound to be fools running about recklessly, not discerning time and place and the direction.

Clear is what future will be in store for those staking their fate on sycophancy toward the US and leaving the destiny of the nation at the tender mercy of outsiders.

Ri Kyong Ju