S. Korean president calls on Europe to help bring N. Korea back to dialogue

By Byun Duk-kun

WARSAW, July 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called on Poland and other European nations to use their close relationship with North Korea to help bring the communist state back to the dialogue table, saying a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff will not only benefit his country but the entire world.

The visiting South Korean head of state also expressed hope his country and the
European Union would be able to conclude their negotiations for a free trade
agreement (FTA) in the near future.
President Lee noted the former Eastern bloc countries in Europe still maintained
a close relationship with North Korea, but said that should not prevent a close,
or even closer relationship between his country and the European countries.
"The world is ever changing. The eastern European nations, too, are now moving
toward the free market economy and that change has allowed our countries to be
close, which would have been unthinkable during the Cold War era," Lee said in an
interview with EuroNews, the most watched television network in Europe.
The South Korean leader arrived here Tuesday on a two-day visit for talks with
his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski. He is currently on a three-nation trip
that will take him to Italy later Wednesday for the G-8 Summit and the Major
Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. His trip will end in Sweden.
"Europe has traditionally maintained a dialogue relationship with North Korea, so
I hope it will pay close attention to the North Korean issue and exercise its
influence on the country," Lee said, according to excerpts of the interview
released by his presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. The interview was expected to
be broadcast Thursday.
North Korea began its latest provocation with the launch of a long-range rocket
in April in a claimed satellite launch but believed to have been a disguise for a
missile test. Pyongyang conducted its second nuclear explosion test on May 25,
prompting strong condemnation and sanctions from the United Nations Security
Council.
Lee said the North's recent provocations, as well as its other behaviors, "did
not make any sense."
"While all the other countries are developing by opening up and through
international cooperation, North Korea is completely closed off and is the only
nation on the face of the earth that we find hard to understand," he said.
He also criticized his South Korean predecessors, saying some of the money they
had provided to North Korea in assistance is now believed to have been diverted
to the North's nuclear weapons program.
"Therefore, we are now working through international means, such as U.N.
sanctions, to make North Korea engage in serious dialogue. The purpose of such
sanctions is to make North Korea come to the dialogue table with the
international community," the president said.
Lee said one way to bring South Korea and Europe closer together, not only on the
North Korean issue but also other economic or diplomatic issues, was to quickly
sign the FTA.
"I believe the FTA in overall will benefit both the South Korean and the European
sides," he said, adding he expects the sides to conclude their negotiations and
sign the deal by next month.