President says N. Korea a 'hurdle' to world peace and security

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak strongly
denounced North Korea Friday for threatening the South with its nuclear arsenal
and other weapons of mass destruction, saying the communist nation is a threat
and "hurdle" to world peace and security.

"North Korea claims to support the spirit of 'By Our Nation Itself' but in
reality it is threatening its South Korean brothers and creating a hurdle to
peace and security in the world," the president said in a speech, marking the
60th anniversary of the death of renowned independence fighter Kim Koo.
The speech was read by the president's chief secretary for civil affairs, Kang
Yoon-goo, on behalf of Lee at a ceremony held at a memorial park in central
Seoul.
Tension between the divided Koreas significantly increased after Pyongyang
conducted its second nuclear test on May 25 amid international condemnation for
its long-range missile test in April.
North Korea is also refusing to attend multilateral negotiations on its
denuclearization, forcing South Korea and the United States to seek a five-way
dialogue framework involving Japan, China and Russia to discuss ways to lure the
communist state back to the negotiating table.
"There are many unfinished tasks in South-North Korea relations and domestic
affairs," the president said.
"We have a proud tradition of joining forces to overcome difficulties," Lee said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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