Lee says nuclear dispute limits inter-Korean cooperation

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday progress in
North Korea's denuclearization is a key condition for inter-Korean cooperation,
reaffirming Seoul's position of withholding meaningful economic aid from its
nuclear-driven neighbor.
"As long as the North Korean nuclear issue remains unresolved, there would
naturally be a limit to inter-Korean cooperation," Lee said in a keynote speech
to a forum of the Economic Intelligence Unit, a London-based research company, in
Seoul.
"The expansion of inter-Korean economic cooperation will be a great boon to peace
and sustainable development of not only Northeast Asia but the entire world. For
this end, the North Korean nuclear issue, which is a major obstacle to
inter-Korean cooperation, should be removed."
Lee made the remarks as North Korea continues to pursue its nuclear program while
reaching out to South Korea and the United States. North Korea said on Tuesday it
has completed extracting plutonium from the 8,000 spent fuel rods it has at its
major nuclear complex in Yongbyon and was weaponizing it. The announcement was
apparently meant to press the United States to quickly start bilateral talks over
the nuclear dispute.
North Korea quit the six-nation denuclearization talks in protest at a punitive
U.N. resolution for its long-range rocket test in April. Pyongyang further stoked
tension with a nuclear test in May. Pyongyang shifted to conciliatory diplomacy
in August, and according to inside sources, it has even expressed hopes for a
summit with President Lee.
Lee said his proposal for a "grand bargain" in resolving the nuclear issue was
"very realistic."
The proposal refers to a single package deal, in which regional countries would
provide massive aid for the North in exchange for its denuclearization. North
Korea has rejected it as "ridiculous," saying the nuclear dispute should be
settled between Pyongyang and Washington.
"The grand bargain proposes that pertinent nations confirm North Korea's intent
on denuclearization and what North Korea wants for giving up its nuclear program,
and then enter into negotiations. I believe it was a very realistic proposal,"
Lee said.
Lee stressed that North Korea should not expect negotiations to be always available.
"What is important here is that North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-il thinks that if
the negotiation drags on, U.S. President Obama's term will end and a new
administration will set in, the presidents will change in South Korea and China,
and that a new set of negotiations will begin," Lee said, referring to the
North's top leader.
"But we cannot do this forever," he said.
"I expect North Korea will return to the talks with sincerity and join the
efforts to find ways of resolving the nuclear dispute, such as the grand
bargain."
hkim@yna.co.kr
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