N. KOREA REPORTS ON S. KOREAN OFFICIAL'S DEATH

[Anchor Lead]

North Korean state media has, for the first time, reported on the killing of a South Korean official since Seoul demanded a joint investigation into the incident. The report warns that South Korean ships must stop violating the North's territorial waters when searching for the official's body.

[Pkg]

Five days after the killing of a South Korean government official, The North's Korean Central News Agency reported on the incident for the first time. It said unpleasant incidents like this must not take place again and that the North notified the South of what had happened. The KCNA also cited an excerpt from a letter sent by the United Front Department last Friday. The report also said safety measures will be strengthened to prevent events that may undermine inter-Korean ties in the future. However, the second half of the report mostly consists of a warning to Seoul. It apparently takes issue with South Korea's search for the missing official's body. The report reads, "South Korea has deployed multiple ships for what appears to be search operations on September 25, and they keep violating our territorial waters. The report warns that such actions are unacceptable and could trigger another unpleasant incident, and that the North will respond strongly. The report demanded the South immediately stop infringing on the Maritime Military Demarcation Line in the West Sea. The Maritime Military Demarcation Line mentioned in the letter was set unilaterally by North Korea and is different from the Northern Limit Line regarded as the maritime border by South Korea. The North added it's been searching for the missing official's body in waters off its western coast and will think of ways to transfer it to the South if it's found.