(3rd LD) Lee wishes N. Korean leader "well," says he is needed for peace

SYDNEY, March 4 (Yonhap) -- In a rare direct comment on the North Korean leader, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Wednesday wished the North Korean leader well, saying his control of the communist nation is vital to maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula for the time being.

Kim Jong-il is said to be recovering from a stroke he suffered in August, but
recent reports have suggested the North Korean leader, who turned 67 last month
and reportedly has kidney ailments, may have named one of his three sons as his
successor.
"It appears from Chairman Kim's recent activities that there are not any serious
problems for him to continue ruling North Korea, and I think it is better to have
a stabilized North Korean regime at this point in time for inter-Korean dialogue
and cooperation," Lee said, referring to the North Korean leader by his formal
title as chairman of Pyongyang's National Defense Commission.
The remarks are a rare direct evaluation of the North Korean leader by Lee, who
took office a year ago.
They were made during an interview with an Australian newspaper, The Australian,
in Seoul before Lee started his overseas trip. The full text of the interview was
released by Lee's office on Wednesday.
The South Korean president arrived Wednesday in Sydney as part of a three-nation
tour. He concluded his New Zealand trip and will head to Indonesia after his
Australian stop. He is set to hold a summit Thursday with Australian Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra.
The comments were a "get-well" wish for the North's leader, a presidential aide
said.
"This means we need a stabilized North Korea for peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and that we need Kim Jong-il, at least for
now, to ensure stability in the North," the official told Yonhap, asking not to
be identified.
North Korea and its regime largely run on the personality cult built around Kim
and his late father and founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung.
Kim Jong-il has three sons, none of whom has yet established a strong political
foothold. The obscurity about power succession raises concerns that a sudden fall
of the incumbent leader could very well cause sudden regime collapse or internal
confusion, endangering regional security.
Regarding the North's preparations to launch what it claims is a communications
satellite, the South Korean president said the provocative move could bring
short-term gains but will lead to greater losses in the long run.
U.S. and South Korean military intelligence officials suspect Pyongyang is
actually planning to test-fire a ballistic missile.
"North Korea has taken such actions as firing a missile in the past at times that
it sees as appropriate, and I believe it is again trying to take such a strong
action because a new U.S. administration has been inaugurated and another round
of the six-nation talks could be held in the near future," Lee said.
The six-way talks aimed at denuclearizing the communist North involve the two
Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.
"Such strong actions may place North Korea in a better position in negotiations,
but in the long run they will not be so rewarding to North Korea in the
international community," the president said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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