S.Korea regrets DPRK's "threat" of stern punishment

South Korea expressed regrets Monday over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s"threat"of stern punishment against Seoul's distortion of Pyongyang's willingness toward dialogue.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol told a press briefing that it was very regrettable for the DPRK to distort and denounce South Korea's will to improve inter-Korean ties and even" threaten"the country through the DPRK's National Defense Commission statement.

The spokesman blamed Pyongyang for no clear response to Seoul' s dialogue offer for almost a month, stressing that there is no change in its position that South Korea is ready to resolve all issues of mutual concern through dialogue irrespectively of dialogue form.

Lim urged the North to come forward to the dialogue table" without hesitation"to talk about what it wants if the DPRK really wants to enhance inter-Korean relations, calling for Pyongyang not to make unilateral claims.

His comments came a day after the DPRK's National Defense Commission said that"even a basic dialogue mood has not been formed"as South Korea distorted the DPRK's sincerity and will to improve inter-Korean relations.

The commission cited the planned joint annual military exercises between South Korea and the United States, and Seoul's connivance of ant-DPRK leaflet spread by South Korean civic groups.

The DPRK has cited those two issues as well as the lifting of sanctions imposed by South Korea as preconditions for resuming inter-Korean talks.

Regarding the calls, Lim said South Korea is not considering accepting Pyongyang's preconditions to induce the DPRK to the dialogue table, reiterating that the DPRK should come forward to the table to comprehensively talk about what it wants.

South Korea offered on Dec. 29 to hold talks with the DPRK in January to discuss all issues of mutual concern, but the DPRK has kept mum about the proposal. Endi