Seoul lawmakers hope for closer U.S. ties over N. Korean nuke issue

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday congratulated U.S.
President Barack Obama on his inauguration and expressed hope that the two
nations will work closely in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue.

"We hope for the prosperity of both nations through the ratification of a free
trade agreement and improved joint efforts in dealing with the North Korean
nuclear issue," Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, spokesman for the ruling Grand National
Party (GNP), said in a statement.
In his inauguration speech on Tuesday, Obama, without naming any country in
particular, vowed to engage enemies as well as friends to resolve nuclear threats
and to use power prudently to regain the United States' global credibility.
GNP Rep. Hwang Jin-ha, a member of the parliament's foreign affairs and trade
committee, said he expects the Obama administration to develop a "healthy
leadership" in dealing with global affairs and to further strengthen U.S. ties
with South Korea.
Rep. Song Min-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), a former foreign
minister, called upon the South Korean government to "fine-tune" with the U.S. a
plan to bring North Korea into the international community.
Obama pledged during his campaign to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
and other leaders of rogue states without preconditions.
DP spokeswoman Rep. Kim Yoo-jung positively evaluated Obama's bid to talk
directly to North Korea and said the U.S. president's open engagement policy will
weaken the negotiating power of Seoul's unpopular Lee Myung-bak administration.
"President Lee should more carefully listen to the voices of opposition parties
and the people, who are calling for a change to his hardline stance on North
Korea," Kim said in a statement.
The Lee administration has taken a tougher stand towards Pyongyang than its
liberal predecessors, demanding North Korea abandon its nuclear program and
improve its human rights conditions.
Seoul did not provide food or fertilizer aid to Pyongyang last year, and has said
it will not expand joint economic projects until the nuclear issue is resolved.
North Korea has almost entirely cut off official inter-Korean dialogue since Lee
took office in early 2008.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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