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(LEAD) Criticism of Lee not linked to elections: N.K.
SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea denounced Tuesday South Korean media outlets for alleging that the North's recent denunciation of the South's President Lee Myung-bak was aimed at influencing this week's general elections.
The Minju Joson, organ of the North Korean Cabinet, said in a commentary dated on Sunday that last week's Rodong Shinmun commentary fiercely criticizing the new president represented Pyongyang's position and was not linked to Wednesday's elections.
"This is a sophism for distorting truth," said the commentary carried Tuesday by Pyongyang's official Web site Uriminzokkiri.
The North's claim followed media reports that Pyongyang was trying to influence Wednesday's elections in favor of proponents of the "sunshine policy" of engaging the North.
President Lee's Grand National Party is expected to win a majority, according to recent public surveys.
"Word is going round that our principled position on the South Korean conservative authorities' anti-DPRK confrontation scheme was intended to influence the general elections," the Minju Joson said.
The article by an unnamed commentator, dated April 1, singled out Lee by name for the first time since he took office in late February, referring him as "a traitor" and "a U.S. sycophant." It also criticized his tough position toward Pyongyang, urging him to stick to two inter-Korean summit agreements for inter-Korean peace and cooperation signed in 2000 and 2007.
Many analysts viewed the commentary as a possible reflection of the North's official position.
"Why do we have to wait until the general elections are over to denote our principled position on their anti-reunification, anti-peace and anti-tribal confrontation policies?," the Minju Joson asked. "That kind of irrational insistence works on nobody."
Such an "insistence" is based on an "evil plot" by South Korean authorities to weaken the meaning of the commentary and justify their "reactionary" position, the article said.
In a commentary Tuesday, the newspaper blamed Seoul for causing the current tension between the two Koreas.
"It's totally up to the South Korean authorities whether the current crisis is resolved or deteriorates," it said.
Over last week, North Korea has threatened to suspend all dialogue and contacts with South Korea and reduce it to "ashes" unless the new chairman of the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff apologizes for remarks on attacking Pyongyang.
The North insists his remarks that the South would strike the North's nuclear weapons sites if the North attacks the South with nuclear bombs reflected the government's tough position toward Pyongyang.
sshim@yna.co.kr
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