Pres. Lee Proposes Permanent Liaison Offices With N. Korea

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, on his first state visit to the United States, said on Thursday, “When I return to Korea, I will propose the creation of the first liaison offices in the capitals of the two Koreas, in order to establish a permanent communications link between the two countries.

He told the Washington Post in an interview that, “Specific action plans should be built through negotiations between Seoul and Pyongyang. But I believe those in charge of the liaison offices should be able to effectively deliver messages to the leaders of the countries.”

Although the government proposed the establishment of a diplomatic channel between the two Koreas, following the first round of high-level talks in September 1990, this is the first time for a president to openly propose the idea to the North.

In particular, the proposal to establish permanent liaison offices was nothing short of an initial request for official dialogue with the North.

“The purpose for opening an inter-Korean diplomatic channel is to make an effort to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue while at the same time strengthen inter-Korean relations through dialogue,” said President Lee. With this, he made it clear that the government would pursue the two goals of opening an inter-Korean diplomatic channel and resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Regarding lingering suspicion over North Korea’s uranium enrichment program (UEP) and the export of nuclear technology to Syria, Lee said, “[During the United States and North Korea meeting in Singapore], North Korea appeared to have indirectly confessed to the two issues. Given the tenacity and characteristics of the nation, I think it is equivalent to a guilty plea. In this regard, it would be one of the best ways to go to the next step (nuclear disablement) to resolve the nuclear issue.” Lee added, “Another important point is that the North promised not to engage in nuclear proliferation activities in the future.”

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