The government has reaffirmed that North Korea must take responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel if it wants South Korea to lift the so-called May 24 economic sanctions.
 
A Unification Ministry official told reporters on Tuesday that the North was found to be responsible for the 2010 sinking of the naval corvette based on findings by an international investigative team.
 
The official said Seoul deeply regrets that the North, in a statement issued by the powerful National Defense Commission on Tuesday, continued to deny its involvement and denounced the South Korean government.
 
The official said the May 24 sanctions were devised to get the North to assume responsibility for the Cheonan incident. He then stressed that the North must take responsible steps that the South Korean people can understand.
 
The official’s remarks came after the North’s statement said the basis for the May 24 sanctions was fabricated and that the sanctions must be lifted as soon as possible. The statement added that calls for dialogue by the South to discuss lifting the sanctions are “silly.”