Lee Rules Out Unprincipled Summit Between 2 Koreas
President Lee Myung-bak
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak Friday reiterated his position that he will not pursue an unprincipled inter-Korean summit.
``As I said earlier, I won't pursue an unprincipled inter-Korean summit. I will not seek a meeting to save face. That's the bottom line,'' Lee said during a meeting with his foreign and security policy advisers at Cheong Wa Dae.
Media reports said that senior officials of the two Koreas met in Singapore and discussed the possibility of a third inter-Korean summit. Lee's office denied the claims.
The presidential office has said that an inter-Korean summit would only happen if Pyongyang first agrees to completely give up its nuclear ambitions.
Lee offered a ``grand bargain'' that calls on the North to abandon its nuclear programs in return for security, diplomatic and economic incentives.
``I explained the grand bargain concept as a package deal, and the U.S. side welcomed the proposal,'' Lee said.
``We have presented a broad principle and it is desirable that its details should be made concrete through consultations among member countries of the six-party talks.''
Earlier this week, the President stressed his principles of policy consistency toward North Korea.
``The government's policy on North Korea has been consistent. The administration is firm in its determination to form a future-oriented inter-Korean relationship on the basis of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the principles of co-prosperity and co-existence,'' Lee said in his address at the National Assembly, Monday, read by Prime Minister Chung Un-chan.
North Korea, which conducted a second nuclear test on May 25, announced Nov. 3 that it had completed reprocessing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods in late August, an effort to backtrack denuclearization actions it pledged in 2007 and 2008.
The announcement came amid reports that Pyongyang and Washington would soon hold bilateral talks, in an apparent North Korean bid to position itself to seek more money, assistance and security guarantees from the United States and other countries involved in the six-way denuclearization framework.
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Please stay on topic.
legoog (98.248.197.152)
11-08-2009 02:23
KT should take a poll to see if what percentage of S.koreans think Nkorea will give up Nuclear development if they themselves were living in N.korea? I bet 90% would say keep the Nukes if they are the N.koreans. Lee don't make no sense for offering summit only if n.kor gives up the nuke.
legoog (98.248.197.152)
11-08-2009 02:08
Today n.korea is more militant because of Lee admin's backward policy in short 2 yrs time.
legoog (98.248.197.152)
11-08-2009 02:07
All s.koreans borne before the korean war should yield the political office to those born after. N.korea was mischievous upto the USSR break up, as N.kor was more economically vibrant until 1980's. Now the table has turned, S.korea with US backing is more affluent. Let us not allow older korean folks who experinced bad old N.korea to launch somekind of revenge, but allow the young koreans to mend the difference and go forward constructively.
legoog (98.248.197.152)
11-08-2009 01:55
Lee will be gone in 3 yrs. S.Korea needs Roh-II. And I sincerely hope S.koreans vote such pres. into office next time.
drifter (125.129.22.138)
11-07-2009 18:29
The president is intelligent enough to know that talking with NK is just like listening to a broken record that continuously tells lies. Only pro NK supporters who had no idea of the evilness and suffering that goes on up there can argue otherwise. Personally, I would not give them the sweat off my back. I am sorry for the people up there, but whatever is given goes to the military, and not the poor or hungry.
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