Open Letter to U.S. and S. Korean Authorities

Pyongyang, August 9 (KCNA) -- The United States and the south Korean authorities are contemplating staging again Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises from August 16 to 26.
In view of such situation sparking another danger of war on the peninsula, the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People's Army Sunday sent the U.S. and the south Korean authorities the following open letter:
Peace is the strong desire and invariable requirement of the army and the people of the DPRK.
It is, however, long since the situation on the peninsula inched close to a touch-and-go situation, after going beyond the fragile state of armistice.
Such trend of the situation is attributable to the hostile policy enforced by the U.S. toward the DPRK, failing to match its words with its deeds and the anti-DPRK policy of confrontation followed by the south Korean authorities, toeing its line.
The KPA Panmunjom Mission is authorized to raise the following principled demands to the U.S. and the south Korean authorities in view of the prevailing grave situation:
1. The U.S. and the south Korean authorities should show the DPRK the will for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by making a bold policy decision to cancel the projected joint military exercises.
2. By canceling the exercises the U.S. and the south Korean authorities should make a bold practical decision to replace the armistice system by a peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula.
3. The U.S. and the south Korean authorities should officially show their willingness to normalize the DPRK-U.S. relations and the inter-Korean relations by canceling the projected joint military exercises.