President Lee Myung-bak urged North Korea to drop its pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons, and open up to the outside world, saying Monday that ending bad behavior will guarantee a better future for the impoverished communist nation.
The appeal came days after North Korea launched a long-range rocket Friday. Though the rocket fizzled soon after takeoff, the launch drew strong international condemnation as it violated a U.N. Security Council resolution.
The resolution bans Pyongyang from carrying out such a launch as the rocket technology involved in it can be used to develop long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. North Korea conducted nuclear tests twice in the past and claims it is a nuclear weapons state.
"North Korea may think it can threaten the world and promote internal unity with nuclear weapons and missiles, but this is putting itself into greater danger," Lee said in his biweekly radio address. "We clearly saw from history that the former Soviet Union collapsed while engaging in an arms race to maintain its internal system."
Friday's rocket launch is estimated to have cost Pyongyang about US$850 million, and the destitute North could have spent the money to buy 2.5 million tons of corn, an amount that is enough to make up for food shortages in the country for six years, Lee said.
"The purpose of a country's existence is to make people live happily and comfortably," he said.
Lee stressed that the only way for North Korea to survive is to give up its nuclear weapons programs and cooperate with the international community through reform and openness, urging the regime to follow in the footsteps of countries like China, Vietnam and Myanmar.
"There is no need for North Korea to fear changing. No one is trying to threaten or change North Korea by force or coercion," Lee said. "If North Korea changes itself, not only we, but also the international community, will together cooperate with North Korea."
Also Monday, the leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, Park Geun-hye, called for a parliamentary resolution condemning the rocket launch and urging the North to refrain from additional provocations and to start anew as a responsible member of the international community.
"It is very important for us to speak with one voice on North Korea issues," Park told a meeting of party leaders. "If our National Assembly conveys a united voice to North Korea on behalf of our people, it will be very meaningful, and the receiving side will consider it a message from our people."
Park asked the party's floor leader to begin negotiations with the opposition party.
A leading hopeful in December's presidential election, Park strongly criticized the rocket launch, saying the North is wasting resources that could have been used to feed its hunger-stricken people.(Yonhap)