Seoul willing to send envoy to North if Pyongyang okays: President Lee

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said his government is willing to send a special envoy to North Korea if Pyongyang accepts, while he predicted the communist neighbor will go ahead with its rocket launch, foreign press reports said Friday.

"If North Korea is ready and willing to receive a special envoy from South Korea,
of course we've always been ready to send one," Lee was quoted as telling a group
of reporters in London, where he was attending the G-20 summit.
Lee's comments comes amid signs that North Korea is nearly ready to launch what
is claims is a communications satellite "Kwangmyongsong-2" on a carrier rocket
during daylight hours between April 4-8. U.S. defense officials said North Korea
appears to be loading fuel to the rocket, the final step in launch preparations.
Inter-Korean relations have significantly chilled since Lee took office a year
ago with a tougher stance on North Korea. He has halted free food aid to North
Korea, linking it to the North's denuclearization.
"I think it's almost certain North Korea will fire the missile," Lee was quoted
as saying in a group interview. The launch could come as early as Saturday
depending on weather conditions, he said, vowing a "strong and stern response"
against the move.
South Korea, the U.S. and Japan suspect the satellite launch is a cover for a
test of North Korea's long-range missile and have warned of U.N. sanctions if it
goes ahead with the launch.
Lee insisted that any missile launch by North Korea would be a violation of U.N.
sanctions and would not be "in their benefit."
odissy@yna.co.kr
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