Lee Links NK Aid to Denuclearization
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak won the presidential candidacy of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) Monday mostly through his focused marketing of his image as an expert on bread-and-butter issues.
Now, the 66-year-old Lee is marketing his own version of the North Korean card _ development-for-denuclearization program.
The former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction saw his popularity rocket to the 60 percent range following his nomination Monday.
Lee is alert to the possibility that his dream to become the next president could be frustrated by the inter-Korean summit slated for Oct. 2-4 in Pyongyang.
The nominee and his party share the view that a possible ``security storm'' could have an enormous impact on the presidential race.
To shield against the possible negative fallout, Lee and the pro-business GNP are striving to make it a `` just a storm in a teacup" by promoting his vision for North Korea and calling for the delay of the inter-Korean summit until after December's election.
In an interview Wednesday, the nominee said the government could face backlash from citizens if it seeks to play the North Korea card for the presidential election.
Lee expressed deep concerns over the aftermath of the summit, which was postponed from late August to early October due to the floods that hit the North earlier this month.
``I am concerned about the possible damaging effect of the summit on the election,'' he said in a meeting with a Catholic leader in Seoul.
He made it clear that ``no progress (economic incentive) will be made unless Pyongyang gives up its nuclear ambitions.''
His so-called ``Unification Economics'' boils down to a phrase that ``South Korea will be ready to upgrade North Korea's economy after the North dissolves its nuclear arsenal and further commits itself to genuine peace.''
During the nomination race, Lee pledged to help the North Korean economy grow to a per capita income of $3,000 once Pyongyang fulfills its security commitment.
Lee said his stance on North Korea remains unchanged.
The GNP reiterated its demand that the inter-Korean summit be postponed until after the presidential election.
``Speculations are running high about the real reason for the delay. They said the Roh Moo-hyun administration could have exaggerated the tally of the flood casualties in order to put the talks right before the presidential election,'' GNP spokeswoman Na Kyung-won said.