Pres. Lee: N.Korea should not fear change

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday said North Korea should not fear change in his first comment on the North since its launch of a long-range rocket Friday.

"There is no need for North Korea to worry at all about changes,” he said in his regular radio address, adding, “No one wants to threaten or change North Korea by military might or force.”

"North Korea is voluntarily inviting its own isolation from the international community by pushing ahead with the launch of missiles. It might think that it seeks to internally consolidate its regime with nuclear weapons or missiles, but it is putting itself in a bigger jeopardy.”

The president added, “There`s no reason for North Korea not to (achieve economic development as China or Vietnam have done through opening),” adding, “If it opens up and changes direction, it can do that even now.”

He blasted North Korea for spending 850 million U.S. dollars on the launch, adding the money could have gone to buy 2.5 million tons of corn that could have fed North Korea people for six years. "(If the North does not pursue an arms race), it can completely resolve its food shortage," he said.

In his summit talks in late march with Chinese President Hu Jintao, President Lee said, “North Korea should give up missile launches and instead focus on development of its people’s livelihood."

Referring to the North`s condemnation of his administration around last week`s general elections in South Korea, President Lee said, “As demonstrated in the general elections, North Korea should realize that any attempt to cause conflict within South Korean society is futile at best."

Park Geun-hye, acting chief of the ruling Saenuri Party, told a meeting of the party`s emergency measures committee Monday, “It would be nice for (the ruling and opposition parties) to adopt a resolution at the parliamentary level to condemn North Korea’s missile launch, urge the North not to make additional provocations such as nuclear tests, and instead restart as a responsible member of the international community.”

"If the South Korean legislature conveys a unified voice to the North, it will be very meaningful, and the side (North Korea) that receives such a message will think that it effectively conveys the will of the (South) Korean people.”

Ruling party floor leader Hwang Woo-yeo told reporters Sunday that he will propose to the main opposition Democratic United Party "a one-point National Assembly" from April 23 through 25 to discuss key pending issues, including a bill banning illegal government surveillance of civilians, and deliberate on bills pending at the 18th National Assembly.

srkim@donga.com