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ROK pres. proposes 'grand bargain' with DPRK

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-22 16:08

SEOUL: The President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Myung-bak on Monday proposed a "grand bargain" between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and other five partners engaged in six-party talks, the ROK's media reported Tuesday.

The proposal calls on the DPRK to abandon its nuclear program and complete irreversible denuclearization in exchange for a security guarantee and economic aid granted by the international community.

Lee made the proposal while addressing a meeting hosted by the US Council on Foreign Relations, the Korea Society and the Asia Society in New York.

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Lee arrived in the city on Sunday on a six-day US trip, during which he will attend General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in New York and the Group of 20 (G20) financial summit in Pittsburgh.

Lee urged the DPRK to immediately return to the international nuclear disarmament negotiations, saying that to the DPRK, "this is not a crisis but an opportunity," it "must not miss this precious opportunity that may well be its last."

Lee called on Pyongyang not to consider the denuclearization process as a threat to its government, but understand it can establish a new relationship with the countries of the world.

The DPRK announced to withdraw from the six-party talks aiming at ending its nuclear program in the wake of international sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) after it tested long-range rockets in April and a nuclear bomb in May.

On the other hand, the other five partners, the Untied States, China, the ROK, Japan and Russia, need "fundamental solutions" to resolve the DPRK's nuclear issue in a peaceful way, Lee said.

Pyongyang always sought economic interests through threatening the world by carrying out nuclear and missile tests over the past decade, the international community must deal with this problem, the president said.

"It is important for the five nations to strengthen policy coordination over the nuclear issue," he said.

Lee also called on the five partners to discuss his new proposal.