Urgent need to resolve N.K. famine, President Kim tells CNN

Stressing the urgency of the food situation in North Korea, President Kim Dae-Jung appealed to the international community Monday to extend help to the famine-stricken nation. In an exclusive interview with CNN, a U.S. cable news network, timed with his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, Kim said, ¡°South Korea and the international society are required to help the North Koreans. We have to save their lives.¡±

¡°We offered 300,000 tons of fertilizer and 600,000 tons of food to North Korea, while helping it launch agricultural reform plans,¡± he said. ¡°If we offer assistance to help North Korea solve problems affecting the people¡¯s daily lives, North Korea¡¯s dependence on the world will be boosted and they will have closer relationship with the international community, which will in turn help reduce its negative side.¡±

Referring to South Korea¡¯s current economic problems, President Kim admitted that the national economy faces difficulties, but pointed out that international organizations do not see it as a crisis.

¡°If there are some problems, we need to recognize them as they are. We have unswerving confidence that we can fix them without giving up, and we will do so without fail,¡± he said.