South Korea proposes incentives for North

September 22, 2009|Associated Press

NEW YORK - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak proposed a “grand bargain’’ yesterday to restart disarmament negotiations and end North Korea’s nuclear arms program.

Lee’s proposal called for giving the North economic and political incentives, including a security guarantee, the Yonhap news agency reported. Lee spoke in New York, where the UN General Assembly meets this week.

“We must seek a packaged or ‘grand bargain’ resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, in which North Korea will dismantle key elements of its nuclear programs through the six-party talks while we will simultaneously provide security guarantees and international assistance to North Korea,’’ Lee said in a speech.

Lee called for making Pyongyang dismantle its nuclear program from the start, instead of in phases.

“We must not repeat our mistake of the past 20 years when we allowed the North Korean nuclear issue to return to its starting point by agreeing to a nuclear freeze and rewarding the North for such an agreement while ignoring the fundamental issue of complete nuclear dismantlement,’’ Lee said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reportedly expressed interest Friday in “bilateral and multilateral talks,’’ indicating the regime could rejoin the stalled six-nation negotiations, involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan. Pyongyang pulled out of the talks to protest criticism of its rocket launch earlier this year.

Washington, which had demanded the North first return to the six-nation negotiations, is now considering direct talks.

Lee also called for enacting a bilateral free trade agreement signed between Washington and Seoul more than two years ago. It was painstakingly negotiated but is stalled over lawmakers’ worries it could hurt the struggling American auto industry.

President Obama has said the deal does not deal with an imbalance in the auto trade that has heavily favored South Korean automakers. His administration is reviewing the deal.