The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued an article on Thursday urging South Korea to immediately stop slandering and committing provocative acts deepening misunderstanding and mistrust and inciting confrontation and hostility between the north and the south.

According to the Rodong Sinmun, authorities and the ultra-right conservative media of South Korea have slandered the DPRK's proposal for dialogue. That, the Rodong Sinmun said, has been a main cause of deteriorating north-south relations and is not a proper approach toward dialogue.

"It is quite clear that it will be hard to properly hold dialogue and negotiations nor is it possible to frankly discuss issues related to the fate of the nation and its common interests, development and prosperity even if the north and the south sit at a negotiating table, as long as mud-slinging and provocative acts are allowed between them," the article said.

At the end, the article called on South Korea to stop unreasonable acts of hurting and slandering its fellow countrymen in response to the call of the DPRK in order to help create a favorable atmosphere for dialogue and negotiations.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK said in a statement released Jan. 26 that it is the common aspiration of the international community and the urgent need of the times to ensure peace and stability of the peninsula through dialogues and negotiations.

"It is important not to miss the hard-won opportunity but keep alive the atmosphere of dialogue in order to avoid vicious cycle of growing tension," the spokesman said.