By Na Jeong-ju
HANOI - President Lee Myung-bak called on North Korea to emulate China’s economic model, saying the North should work to narrow the economic growth gap with the South to ensure common prosperity and peace in the region, the Financial Times reported Friday.
“I would really like North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to see a lot more of China, the China of today, witnessing with his own eyes the result of what can happen to a country’s prosperity when you open up to the world,” the paper quoted Lee as saying in an interview in Seoul earlier this week.
Lee said it was unlikely for Pyongyang to prefer a sudden change, but the change could occur “very slowly.”
During his recent trip to China, Kim visited ports and factories, raising speculation here that he was seeking Chinese-style economic reform to better feed his people. North Korea, which is heavily dependent on China, politically and economically, has avoided fundamental reforms because it carries the risks of political and social unrest.
Lee said he evaluates Kim’s visits to China very positively, in economic aspects.
“China can inspire him to develop the North Korean economy. China should tell him to adopt a change and open itself to the outside world,” Lee said in the interview, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Lee is now on a three-day trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, to participate in a regional forum along with the leaders of Southeast Asian nations as well as China and Japan.
During their talks Friday, they agreed to cooperate closely to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and work together to ensure regional peace and stability, the presidential office said.
Lee told the Financial Times that North Korea remained a “belligerent” force following the sinking of the South Korean Navy vessel Cheonan in March, which is blamed on the North.
He stressed there was no sign of a detente from Pyongyang while Kim Jong-un, the third son of Kim Jong-il, was being styled for power.
Most analysts agree that China, even after the North completes the father-to-son power transfer, will continue to lend a helping hand to the ally as this will increase its influence on it.
Early this year, U.S. President Barack Obama criticized China for turning a blind eye to North Korea’s belligerent behavior, saying Beijing should recognize that Pyongyang crossed a line in the naval incident, in which 46 sailors died.
As for the upcoming G20 Seoul Summit, the CEO-turned-President said he was optimistic that the world’s leading economies can forge firmer guidelines on limiting trade imbalances. However, he said the Seoul summit would probably be marked by “lots of dissent," according to the Financial Times.
“Right now, I do not know if I can tell you whether or not we are going to work toward a specific numerical target in addressing the currency conflict and the widening dispute over current account levels,” Lee said.