Seoul, September 22: South Korea says it has offered the North a ‘grand bargain’ of economic aid to tempt its neighbor state to re-start stalled nuclear talks.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York ahead of a United Nations summit, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said he has offered Pyongyang aid and security guarantees in exchange for giving up its nuclear program.
“This is the only way for North Korea to insure its own survival,” Lee said Monday after separate meetings between US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers from Japan and South Korea urged the need for greater caution on negotiations with Pyongyang.
Calling the offer North Korea’s last chance, Lee said “We must have a comprehensive and integrated approach to fundamentally resolve the North Korea nuclear issue”.
The South Korean president also criticized the approach of former six-nation talks on North Korea, for doing little more than rewarding Pyongyang for bad behavior.
In 2007, North Korea agreed to halt its nuclear activities in return for the needed oil along with promises on its security. But it pulled out of the six-party talks on its nuclear program in April after blaming the US and its allies for refusing to fulfill their promise.
Pyongyang then resumed its nuclear program and launched a number of missiles which resulted in tougher international sanctions.
According to Chinese media reports, North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Il, has expressed willingness for a new round of talks over his country’s nuclear program.
—–Agencies