(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) North Korea demanded Friday that Seoul apologize for what it claimed were slanderous remarks about its leader Kim Jong-un by a South Korean official, calling it an unpardonable provocation. The official, who heads a think tank affiliated with Seoul's spy agency, told a group of ruling party lawmakers Tuesday that Kim is instituting a reign of terror in reference to the execution of his once-powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek in December on charges of treason.
"South Korea should apologize for grave provocations and take responsible steps to ensure similar accidents do not recur, if it has the intention to build trust and improve North-South relations," said the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea that handles inter-Korean affairs. The South Korean official's comments constitute an outright challenge to a recent inter-Korean deal calling for a halt to slander between the sides, it claimed. The official also described Kim as a driver who carefully navigates a mountain in a faulty car with no brakes.
North Korea "could either collapse or launch provocations against the South" as Kim "steps harder on the gas pedal of a car with no brakes," the official said. He also suggested that disgruntled citizens could try to stage a coup against Kim if internal difficulties persist. South Korea's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it has no plans to react to the North's demand. The official was not immediately available for comment.
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