DPRK urges South Korean media to stop "messing up" inter-Korean talks

PYONGYANG, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday urged some South Korean media to stop "messing up" the on-going inter-Korean talks, as the two sides are holding the second round of talks at the truce village of Panmunjom.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted an official of the Central Committee of the Journalists Union of Korea as saying that the conservative media in South Korea are misleading public opinion to "chill" the atmosphere for improved north-south ties.

The KCNA quoted Kim Cho Guk, department director of the DPRK journalists' union, as saying that southern conservative media have descried the DPRK's proposal to the north-south dialogue as "double-dealing tactics" and have asked Seoul to be vigilant against Pyongyang's attempt to drive a wedge in its ties with Washington.

He also accused these media of calling the DPRK's planned dispatch of cheerleaders and artists to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as "using the event as promotional ground" to "evade sanctions."

These acts could turn "peace Olympics" into "confrontation Olympics" if these media "get on the nerves of the dialogue partner (DPRK)" and "write brush at will," he warned.

The DPRK and South Korea are holding their second meeting within one week on Monday in Panmunjom, discussing the dispatch of artists to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics to be held next month.

One week ago, the two sides held their first high-level talks in two years, reaching a number of agreements including cooperation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and taking measures to ease military tension on the Korean Peninsula. Enditem