N. Korea rejects KNRC apology

The North Korean Red Cross on Wednesday rejected an apology by the (South) Korea National Red Cross (KNRC) President Chang Choong-Sik in connection with his remarks made in an interview with the Monthly Chosun magazine, Radio Pyongyang of the North reported.

¡°We cannot consider Chang's letter to be honest, adding that if his remarks were distorted, he should protest to the monthly magazine and take steps to correct them,¡± a North Korean Red Cross spokesman said in a statement.

With the North's delivery of such a hard-line stance to the South, it is doubtful that the inter-Korean exchange of the results of the search of the whereabouts of the displaced families between the two Koreas slated for Oct. 10 and the exchange of family reunions for Nov. 30-Dec. 2 could be made as agreed upon.

Meanwhile, KNRC president Chang disclosed that he had never sent a letter expressing regret over his remarks to the North Korean side.

Ha Tae-Won scooop@donga.com