CPRC Chairman Clarifies Stand of DPRK upon Authorization of Kim Jong Un

Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- Upon authorization of Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of the Workers' Party of Korea and the State and the army, the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country (CPRC) of the DPRK made public the following stand of the DPRK on Jan. 3 in response to the south Korean Chongwadae's official stand toward our proposed dispatch of our delegation to the Phyongchang Olympic Games and remarks made by President Mun Jae In at the state council meeting:

Comrade Kim Jong Un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, upon receiving a report that the south Korean Chongwadae officially supported and welcomed his stand toward the participation in the Phyongchang Olympic Games and the issue of the improvement of the north-south relations he clarified at the 2018 New Year Address and that at the first state council meeting on Jan. 2 President Mun Jae In personally expressed active support and instructed the relevant fields to take substantial measures, gave an affirmative and high estimation of it and expressed his welcome to such response.

He instructed the United Front Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, the National Sports Guidance Committee and relevant units of the DPRK government to promptly take substantial measures with the south Korean authorities out of sincere stand and honest attitude, as the dispatch of our side's delegation to the Phyongchang Olympiad and the talks between the north-south authorities for it which he proposed at the New Year Address are the first meaningful and good step for improved north-south relations under the present situation.

He also instructed to open the Panmunjom liaison channel between the north and the south from 15:00 on Jan. 3 so that the issues related to the opening of talks including the dispatch of the delegation to Phyongchang Olympic Games would be timely communicated to the south side.

Whether the issue of improved north-south relations that has been put high on the agenda is settled to comply with the expectation and desire of the whole nation or not entirely depends on how the north and south authorities handle this issue in a responsible manner, he stressed.

We will try to keep close communications with the south Korean side from sincere stand and honest attitude, true to the intention of our supreme leadership, and deal with the practical matters related to the dispatch of our delegation. We once again sincerely hope that the Phyongchang Olympic Games would successfully open. -0-