ID :
97526
Thu, 12/31/2009 - 09:46
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/97526
The shortlink copeid
Lee says S. Korea paving ground for better ties with North
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that the relationship between his country and North Korea did not improve much this year, but that the South was making significant progress in establishing a foundation for future improvements.
"We faced many changes and challenges in diplomatic and security issues in 2009,
but I believe we are making a positive move toward a new paradigm," Lee said in a
joint policy briefing by the foreign ministry, defense ministry and the Ministry
of Unification.
"Even with the South-North Korea issue, I believe we are successfully building a
foundation for progress though there was no immediate progress this year," he
added.
Inter-Korean ties began deteriorating soon after the Lee administration was
inaugurated early last year, and took a turn for the worst after the communist
North conducted its second nuclear detonation in May.
A special envoy of the South Korean president reportedly met a ranking North
Korean official in October to discuss a possible summit between the leaders of
the divided Koreas, but the talks apparently failed.
Lee urged the government to seek new, creative ways to break the impasse between
the two Koreas.
"We are now entering a new era. And that is why I believe we must review our way
of doing things which tends to just follow old customs in areas of defense,
foreign affairs and inter-Korean relations," he told the meeting.
Thursday's meeting marked the last of the briefings by government offices on
policy objectives for the New Year. The briefings have usually taken place at the
beginning of the year under former governments, but Lee hurried to finish the
process before the year's end to allow for the quick implementation of government
spending from the very start of 2010.
"Please understand South Korea is still under an emergency economic system," the
president said. "The government will not remove its emergency system until the
end of the first half of next year."
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that the relationship between his country and North Korea did not improve much this year, but that the South was making significant progress in establishing a foundation for future improvements.
"We faced many changes and challenges in diplomatic and security issues in 2009,
but I believe we are making a positive move toward a new paradigm," Lee said in a
joint policy briefing by the foreign ministry, defense ministry and the Ministry
of Unification.
"Even with the South-North Korea issue, I believe we are successfully building a
foundation for progress though there was no immediate progress this year," he
added.
Inter-Korean ties began deteriorating soon after the Lee administration was
inaugurated early last year, and took a turn for the worst after the communist
North conducted its second nuclear detonation in May.
A special envoy of the South Korean president reportedly met a ranking North
Korean official in October to discuss a possible summit between the leaders of
the divided Koreas, but the talks apparently failed.
Lee urged the government to seek new, creative ways to break the impasse between
the two Koreas.
"We are now entering a new era. And that is why I believe we must review our way
of doing things which tends to just follow old customs in areas of defense,
foreign affairs and inter-Korean relations," he told the meeting.
Thursday's meeting marked the last of the briefings by government offices on
policy objectives for the New Year. The briefings have usually taken place at the
beginning of the year under former governments, but Lee hurried to finish the
process before the year's end to allow for the quick implementation of government
spending from the very start of 2010.
"Please understand South Korea is still under an emergency economic system," the
president said. "The government will not remove its emergency system until the
end of the first half of next year."
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
