S. Korea voices regret over N.K.'s insults against Park over speech

SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday expressed strong regret over Pyongyang's insults against President Park Geun-hye as she has encouraged North Koreans to defect and find freedom.

Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, slammed Park for delivering a speech on Saturday, South Korea's Armed Forces Day, in which she said South Korea will keep the road open for North Koreans to find new hopes and lives in the South.

An official at Seoul's unification ministry, voiced strong regret over North Korea's hurling of insults to Park.

"North Korea should focus on lives of its ordinary people who are in serious distress without trying to avoid its situation with its sophistry," the official said, asking not to be named.

Park's message came as more than 29,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea in search of freedom. In the first eight months of this year, a total of 894 North Koreans arrived in the South, up 15 percent from a year earlier, according to government data.

Even North Korean elite members including ranking diplomat Thae Yong-ho have chosen to abandon their countries as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is strengthening his iron-fisted rule.

Park's rare strong speech has spawned speculation that the chief executive may be seeking to change her signature inter-Korean policy, known as the Korean Peninsula Trust-Building Process. The policy is aimed at building mutual trust to pave the way for reunification.

But the ministry official rejected the speculation, adding that the government has an unwavering commitment to pursuing her key inter-Korean policy goal.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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