ID :
48616
Tue, 03/03/2009 - 08:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48616
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea calls Lee's dialogue offer 'disgusting'
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea dismissed South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's latest call for dialogue as "disgusting sophism" and said cross-border ties are beyond repair.
In a televised speech on Sunday, Lee called on Pyongyang to end its nuclear
activities and said, "What truly protects North Korea is neither a nuclear weapon
nor a missile but cooperation with South Korea and the international community."
"We are ready to help (the North)," Lee said in the speech marking the
anniversary of Korea's independence movement of 1919 against Japan's colonial
occupation.
North Korea flatly rejected Lee's dialogue offer.
"He has zealously patronized the U.S. nukes and missiles for aggression against
fellow countrymen," a spokesman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification
of Korea, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said in a statement late Monday.
Rejecting intelligence reports in Seoul and Washington, North Korea said last
week that it will launch a "communications satellite" into orbit. Neighboring
states believe the launch may actually be for a long-range missile that in theory
can reach the U.S. west coast.
"Not content with such behavior, he went to the lengths of terming the launch of
an artificial satellite for peaceful purpose the 'launch of a missile.' Such a
vile traitor as him can not be found," the spokesman said in the statement
carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency.
The committee which handles inter-Korean affairs had declared all South-North
peace accords void and threatened naval clashes along the western sea border on
Jan. 30.
Amid mounting tension, Lee appeared to be softening his stance in the March 1
anniversary speech, saying he respects all inter-Korean accords, including the
two summit agreements reached between his liberal predecessors and North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il. The conservative former CEO had been skeptical about their
promises of hefty economic aid to North Korea, which conducted a nuclear weapon
test in 2006 while receiving unconditional aid from the South.
"Worse still, this traitor called for 'respect to the agreed points,'
'co-existence and co-prosperity,' 'dialogue' and the like though he reduced the
inter-Korean agreements to a dead document, regarding the fellow countrymen as
'enemy' and returning evil for good. This call is disgusting sophism and an
intolerable mockery of the nation," the spokesman said.
The spokesman called Lee's speech a "grumble" and "nothing but a replica" of his
unwelcomed election pledge. Taking office a year ago, Lee proposed to help North
Korea raise its per capital income to US$3,000 if it terminates its nuclear
weapons program, but Pyongyang has angrily rejected it, fearing the capitalist
campaign may be a prelude to absorbing the poor, communist state.
"The people in the DPRK have long spat at the traitor, becoming disillusioned
about him. Inter-Korean relations have already crossed the line beyond which they
are irrevocable," the spokesman said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
In a televised speech on Sunday, Lee called on Pyongyang to end its nuclear
activities and said, "What truly protects North Korea is neither a nuclear weapon
nor a missile but cooperation with South Korea and the international community."
"We are ready to help (the North)," Lee said in the speech marking the
anniversary of Korea's independence movement of 1919 against Japan's colonial
occupation.
North Korea flatly rejected Lee's dialogue offer.
"He has zealously patronized the U.S. nukes and missiles for aggression against
fellow countrymen," a spokesman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification
of Korea, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said in a statement late Monday.
Rejecting intelligence reports in Seoul and Washington, North Korea said last
week that it will launch a "communications satellite" into orbit. Neighboring
states believe the launch may actually be for a long-range missile that in theory
can reach the U.S. west coast.
"Not content with such behavior, he went to the lengths of terming the launch of
an artificial satellite for peaceful purpose the 'launch of a missile.' Such a
vile traitor as him can not be found," the spokesman said in the statement
carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency.
The committee which handles inter-Korean affairs had declared all South-North
peace accords void and threatened naval clashes along the western sea border on
Jan. 30.
Amid mounting tension, Lee appeared to be softening his stance in the March 1
anniversary speech, saying he respects all inter-Korean accords, including the
two summit agreements reached between his liberal predecessors and North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il. The conservative former CEO had been skeptical about their
promises of hefty economic aid to North Korea, which conducted a nuclear weapon
test in 2006 while receiving unconditional aid from the South.
"Worse still, this traitor called for 'respect to the agreed points,'
'co-existence and co-prosperity,' 'dialogue' and the like though he reduced the
inter-Korean agreements to a dead document, regarding the fellow countrymen as
'enemy' and returning evil for good. This call is disgusting sophism and an
intolerable mockery of the nation," the spokesman said.
The spokesman called Lee's speech a "grumble" and "nothing but a replica" of his
unwelcomed election pledge. Taking office a year ago, Lee proposed to help North
Korea raise its per capital income to US$3,000 if it terminates its nuclear
weapons program, but Pyongyang has angrily rejected it, fearing the capitalist
campaign may be a prelude to absorbing the poor, communist state.
"The people in the DPRK have long spat at the traitor, becoming disillusioned
about him. Inter-Korean relations have already crossed the line beyond which they
are irrevocable," the spokesman said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
