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Pres. Lee Urges NK to Apologize for Sinking

Posted June. 26, 2010 20:26,   

한국어

President Lee Myung-bak urged North Korea Friday to apologize for the March 26 sinking of the South Korean naval ship Cheonan.

In a speech to a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in southeastern Seoul, he asked the North to stop military provocations and seek co-prosperity with South Korea.

“North Korea must stop its reckless military provocations and get on the path toward the 70 million Korean people (in both Koreas) to live together,” he said.

“We must restore stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula and pursue co-prosperity of the Korean people.”

He also said Pyongyang must admit to and apologize for the Cheonan incident and act as a responsible member of the international community, adding, “Our ultimate goal is peaceful unification, not military confrontation,” Lee reiterated.

“The power that invaded the Republic of Korea has dragged itself to the rear of world history, while the Republic of Korea now stands at the forefront of world history,” he said.

“I want to ask all of us, including myself, whether we remember in our hearts the pain of war and division,” he said. “Given our prosperity and peace, have we forgotten about the war?”



koh@donga.com