S Korea's presidential office welcomes DPRK's apology over dam discharge

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's presidential office on Wednesday welcomed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s apology for its sudden discharge of flood waters that led to death of six South Korean campers last month.

"North Korea (The DPRK)'s prompt acceptance of our proposal for dialogue and its expression of such regret are believed to be very positive signs," Park Sun-kyoo, spokesman for the presidential office, told a daily press briefing.

The spokesman said it was now up to the two sides to establish a system which would help prevent a similar incident in the future.

"The government will closely watch how the North (the DPRK) reacts to our proposal to establish measures to prevent such an incident," he said.

The DPRK's apology came during a meeting held between the two sides on river flood prevention at the DPRK's border city of Kaesong.

Although the DPRK only expressed regrets and condolence in a literal sense, the South Korean government accepted it as an apology in a general context, the unification ministry said.

On Sept. 6, the DPRK's abrupt discharge of its dam water led to death of six South Koreans who had been camping near the Imjin River.

Although South Korea asked for an apology for the discharge, the DPRK had been saying it was forced to open the floodgates to lower the water level, which Seoul had not considered 'sufficient.'