Roh Stresses Need for Roadmap on Inter-Korean Relationship

President Roh Moo-hyun said yesterday that the administration needs to draw up a road map for implementing the agreements made at the 2007 inter-Korean summit and on the North’s relationship with the next administration so that there will be no confusion when handing over responsibility to the next administration. He also added that the government should complete the implementation of all agreements related to the summit.

Roh said in his opening remarks at a cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae yesterday, “I thought that there would be no significant costs. But as the issue of costs could emerge, we need to manage the necessary time and costs in a practical way and discuss it with the North.”

Meanwhile, Lee Myung-bak, presidential candidate of the Grand National Party, said in a press conference held in Busan, “A meeting or two between the leaders of the two Koreas is not enough. We should have a sincere approach,” adding, “An inter-Korean summit should be held by the next administration as well as the incumbent administration.”

Lee commented on the outcome of the 2nd inter-Korean summit, saying, “It is positive that the leaders are making efforts to establish peace on the peninsula and seek reconciliation between the two Koreas. But it is regrettable that there was no discussion on separated families, South Korean abductees to the North, and South Korean POWs. In relation to the North Korean nuclear issue, we should have stressed the need for dismantlement based on the spirit of the six-party talks and the 1992 Basic Agreement between the two Koreas.”

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