ROK president tells North to change tone
Friday, 4 April 2008
SEOUL, Apr 3 (Reuters): South Korea's president Thursday rebuffed the latest taunts from North Korea, telling his communist neighbour to change its tone and get back to more serious dialogue.
In the past week, the North has threatened to reduce the wealthy South to ashes and hurled personal insults at President Lee Myung-bak, who took office in February with promises to get tougher with his touchy neighbour than his two predecessors.
"We propose that the two sides engage in sincere dialogue, and in order to do so, we believe the North has to move away from its previous ways and actions," the presidential office quoted Lee as telling military chiefs.
Lee has vowed to end the free flow of aid North Korea has become used to over the past decade unless it mends it behavior and, in particular, makes progress on nuclear disarmament.
But the increasingly angry rhetoric showed no signs of calming with North Korea sending a letter to South Korea's armed forces, again threatening a military strike.
The latest war of words has had little impact in the South. Its financial markets, long used to furious accusations from the other side of the border, have largely ignored the latest expressions of hostility.
In other statements in the past week, the irritable and impoverished North has warned it could cut contacts with the South, saying it can survive without its help.
It also threatened to step away from its obligations in a six-way deal aimed at ending its atomic arms ambitions.
In the past week, the North has threatened to reduce the wealthy South to ashes and hurled personal insults at President Lee Myung-bak, who took office in February with promises to get tougher with his touchy neighbour than his two predecessors.
"We propose that the two sides engage in sincere dialogue, and in order to do so, we believe the North has to move away from its previous ways and actions," the presidential office quoted Lee as telling military chiefs.
Lee has vowed to end the free flow of aid North Korea has become used to over the past decade unless it mends it behavior and, in particular, makes progress on nuclear disarmament.
But the increasingly angry rhetoric showed no signs of calming with North Korea sending a letter to South Korea's armed forces, again threatening a military strike.
The latest war of words has had little impact in the South. Its financial markets, long used to furious accusations from the other side of the border, have largely ignored the latest expressions of hostility.
In other statements in the past week, the irritable and impoverished North has warned it could cut contacts with the South, saying it can survive without its help.
It also threatened to step away from its obligations in a six-way deal aimed at ending its atomic arms ambitions.