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FM AMEMBASSY SEOUL
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INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4018
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 8612
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4173
RHMFISS/COMUSFK SEOUL KOR
RHMFISS/COMUSKOREA J5 SEOUL KOR
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC//OSD/ISA/EAP//

UNCLAS SEOUL 000617 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KS KN
SUBJECT: ROK PRESIDENT LEE DELIVERS NUANCED STATEMENT ON 
THE DPRK 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During his visit to the Unification 
Ministry on March 26, ROK President Lee Myung-bak made 
extensive comments on North Korea, especially the importance 
of denuclearization.  Lee stressed that peace and prosperity 
in North Korea could be achieved only through 
denuclearization.  Highlights of Lee's remarks, provided in 
full by an Embassy contact, include: 
 
Reunification.  Nobody knows when and how the two Koreas will 
be reunified, but what is clear is that all Koreans, whether 
from the North or South, want "peaceful and sincere" 
reunification.  South Korean leaders must work toward 
reunification within a transparent framework of rules and 
principles; past governments have lacked such a framework. 
The two Koreas already have the beginnings of such a 
framework in the Basic Agreement that took effect in 1992. 
 
Denuclearization.  The most important component of the Basic 
Agreement concerns denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. 
North Korea must live up to the Agreement by implementing the 
agreements reached in the Six Party Talks.  While 
denuclearization is of utmost importance, South Korea also 
recognizes the need to help relieve the tremendous 
humanitarian difficulties facing North Koreans. 
 
Economic Assistance.  South Korea will and must provide 
humanitarian assistance to the people of North Korea, whom 
Lee said that he "loved".  But North Koreans too must help in 
humanitarian issues.  They must provide accounting for POWs 
and those who were kidnapped, as well as accommodating family 
reunification meetings.  Large economic projects, Mt. Kumgang 
and the Kaesong Industrial Complex, should continue.  But, 
again, North Korea must cooperate, because without the two 
sides aiming for the same goals, the projects cannot succeed. 
 An unofficial translation of the complete remarks follows. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On March 26, President Lee Myung-bak was briefed for 
two hours by the Ministry of Unification (MOU) on 
inter-Korean activities and relations.  In addition to 31 MOU 
officials, the briefing was also attended by the Minister of 
Strategy and Finance, Kang Man-soo, and National Security 
Advisor Kim Byung-kook.  Following an introduction by 
Minister of Unification Kim Ha-joong, President Lee addressed 
the MOU officials. 
 
Begin text of remarks. 
 
MINISTER OF UNIFICATION KIM HA-JOONG'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 
 
The Ministry of Unification will work in a new way in 
accordance with the Lee Myung-bak government's vision toward 
an advanced ROK.  At this new juncture, while there has been 
both pros and cons in the past unification policies, I would 
first like to look back on what went wrong.  The pursuit of 
national unification must be based on a national consensus 
and unity.  There have been criticisms that the Ministry of 
Unification did not do enough to resolve ideological 
conflicts within the ROK or to reach a national consensus on 
unification.  It is also true that at times we aroused 
concerns from our citizens over South-North relations by 
failing to listen to their voice and seeing eye to eye with 
them.  I feel deeply responsible.  Now I would like to renew 
our determination and attitude.  Improving South-North 
relations is essential to realizing national stability and 
economic development, as well as building an advanced, 
unified Korea.  I would like to apply the creative and 
pragmatic spirit -- an important underpinning of the new 
government -- to the inter-Korean relations as well.  I 
intend to transform the inter-Korean relations into a 
forward-looking, productive, and mutually beneficial 
relationship based on firm principles and a flexible 
approach.  In so doing, I will seek ways to return the 
inter-Korean relations to where they belong, and pursue 
stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula based on 
mutual trust.  I believe this will lay the groundwork for an 
advanced, unified Korea.  The MOU will do its best to regain 
the people's support by fully communicating with, and serving 
them.  In so doing, we will do our best for the Lee Myung-bak 
government to fulfill its role in the history. 
 
PRESIDENT LEE'S REMARKS 
 
This occasion of the Ministry of Unification's briefing 
reminds me of many things.  Minister Kim has already 
commented on the past unification policies.  While 
recognizing the positive aspects of our past efforts toward 
South-North reconciliation and harmony, we stand at a 
threshold today, where South-North relations should begin 
anew in this new year, being upgraded by not just one notch, 
but even two notches. 
 
We have cried out for unification so many times, for so long. 
 Leaders of both South Korea and North Korea have always 
cried out for unification.  But now we must rethink whether 
it was a genuine yearning from the bottom of the hearts and 
minds of the peoples of both the ROK and DPRK, or just a 
strategic motto for their leaders. 
 
Everyone in South Korea and North Korea wants a true 
unification.  We still have to reach a consensus among the 
people over the means, method, and timing of unification.  We 
will fully respect the will of the both people in employing 
policies toward unification.  But at this initial stage of 
the new government, we need to take stock of the many pending 
issues between South and North, and reaffirm the basic spirit 
of the inter-Korean relations. 
 
The South-North Basic Agreement was signed in 1991 and took 
effect in 1992.  North Korea still officially acknowledges 
the Basic Agreement.  Of course there is a more recent summit 
agreement between the South and North.  But we must abide by 
the spirit of the 1991 Basic Agreement, which is the most 
essential of all.  The Basic Agreement touches on the nuclear 
issue of North Korea and on the Peninsula, which I think is 
the most important issue between South and North.  It is not 
just South Korea that wants the denuclearization of the 
Korean Peninsula.  North Korea has already agreed on the 
spirit of denuclearization as well.  In accordance with the 
spirit, I hope the nuclear problem will be resolved through 
the Six-party Talks.  The Republic of Korea must continue to 
endeavor for the nuclear dismantlement of North Korea by 
actively cooperating along the Six-Party Talks process. 
 
There are a number of South-North issues, including how to 
proceed with humanitarian assistance, and how to define the 
South-North relationship until nuclear abandonment.  One 
thing is clear: We should love the North Korean people as we 
love the South Korean people.  In this regard, we will 
continue with our cooperation to help the North Korean people 
out of their difficult situation. 
 
But North Korea also has to acknowledge the fact that both 
South and North are cooperating.  As they do so -- although 
not as a condition -- I think we can cooperate from a 
humanitarian perspective.  Although there might be major 
problems along the way, I believe the South and North have 
agreed to hold cautious talks on issues such as prisoners of 
war, abductees, and the aging of separated families, all from 
a humanitarian perspective. 
 
The Mt. Kumkang tourism and the Kaesong Industrial Complex 
are actually the projects that most visibly represent 
inter-Korean cooperation.  Despite their room for improvement 
in many aspects, I believe that these projects must go on and 
that the South and the North should work together to continue 
what needs to be done in order for those projects to be a 
success.  These projects are not just for South Korea.  They 
are mutually beneficial, helping both North Korean and South 
Korean businesses.  In that regard, both sides must 
cooperate.  For a genuine inter-Korean business to take place 
in earnest, we must admit that many of the inter-Korean 
issues need to be ironed out. 
 
My government will approach South-North consultations with 
sincerity and an open mind.  This is not something to be 
worked out unilaterally.  Both sides must mutually recognize 
what needs to be recognized, and work to successfully 
reconcile differences, promote peace, and realize 
co-prosperity in both economies. 
 
We cannot expect North Korea to rely on help from others 
forever.  As a single ethnic nation, we must help North Korea 
stand on its own feet economically as soon as possible.  I 
believe North Korea has the capability.  We are keeping our 
eyes on the resolution of North Korea nuclear issue through 
the Six-Party Talks.  We must also make efforts ourselves. 
The North Korean leadership should realize that resolving the 
nuclear problem will benefit the DPRK, because: 1) the 
nuclear issue causes many problems on the Peninsula; 2) we 
cannot unify with a nuclear-North Korea; and 3) it makes 
full-fledged economic cooperation difficult.  Once it gives 
up its nuclear ambitions,  North Korea will stabilize, peace 
will be maintained, its economy will prosper, and it will lay 
the groundwork for economic self-reliance.  We are always 
ready to cooperate, once the North Korea issues are resolved 
through close cooperation with the international community. 
This problem also needs South-North cooperation at an 
appropriate time.  I think we need to coordinate the timing 
of our consultations. 
 
Against this background, there will not be any South-North 
negotiations against the will of the people anymore.  We will 
be actively ready for South-North dialogue on any issue, 
based on transparent, internationally recognized rules.  In 
light of this,  Ministry of Unification officials will need 
to change their attitude toward negotiation.  You should be 
guided by the spirit of genuinely helping North Korea, 
reviving its economy, and allowing its people at least the 
minimum level of basic rights to pursue happiness.  Under the 
spirit, the South and North should negotiate while mutually 
taking balanced steps.  Once the April 9 National Assembly 
election is over and inter-Korean negotiations begin in 
various areas, I believe there will be a chance for us to 
seriously discuss the new government's perspectives on 
unification and ways to address a number of North Korean 
issues. 
 
The new government aims at making Korea an advanced, 
world-class nation.  In this process, I hope North Korea 
would also have a chance to join in and develop.  I would 
rather seek a way for both Koreas to prosper together, than 
for the Republic of Korea to advance while leaving North 
Korea out as the worst economy on the globe.  To this end, I 
intend to deal with state affairs from a creative and 
pragmatic perspective.  This approach should of course extend 
to inter-Korean issues.  If we are stuck in the past -- in 
terms of the pace of change, the way of doing business, and 
the way of thinking -- then we will not be able to open up a 
new era.  Today is different than yesterday, and tomorrow 
will be much more different than today.  Everything is 
continuously changing.  Without change, we cannot survive. 
As you know, we live in an era when Republic of Korea, with 
its dearth of natural resources, must weather the high prices 
of resources, and when the ripple effects of the U.S. 
financial crisis are directly felt here in the Republic of 
Korea.  If we are stuck in the past without changing in this 
fast-changing era, we will not survive.  So we must change, 
and so must North Korea. 
 
Against this backdrop, I call on the Ministry of Unification 
to work in this new Administration with self-initiated 
creativity and pragmatism.  I know some believe that I am not 
interested in unification, and wonder why I attempted to 
scrap the Ministry of Unification.  I don't think unification 
is more likely with the Ministry of Unification and unlikely 
otherwise.  More than anyone else, I love the North Korean 
people.  I hope the North Korean people will reach the level 
where every one of them can enjoy the minimum basic rights to 
human happiness.  More than anybody else, I hope the last 
divided nation on earth will be unified.  Already the 
Republic of Korea has attained the 20,000 dollar per capita 
income, and is looking forward to the 30,000 dollar level. 
But politicians' explanations are not enough to reach a 
consensus on the timing, method, and process for genuine 
unification.  Nor should it be that way.  We should pursue 
unification while respecting the will of the 70 million 
people of the combined Koreas.  I am very positive about the 
South and North coming together and talking to each other. 
It is just that I will not do it the same way as in the past. 
 Perhaps the new government might be even more proactive 
about inter-Korean issues. 
 
Given the many circumstances surrounding North Korea, we 
should also seek ways to approach the North Korean defector 
issue from a humanitarian perspective.  It is an issue we 
should consider with deep humanitarian consciousness and 
sympathy toward those defectors who have nowhere to go or 
nothing to eat. 
 
I look forward to what will be a serious discussion of 
unification issues today.  You (MOU officials) and I need to 
coordinate and share the way we look at North Korea and 
unification.  When public officials come together around a 
cause, the Republic of Korea is sure to advance.  But when 
they split, we can't even take one step forward.  This change 
begins from the top.  Leaders must first change, before 
demanding change from the people.  First the President must 
change, then the Cabinet members should change, and then you 
should change.  This will eventually bring about a real 
change in the nation.  Thus, share your ideas, discuss and 
exchange views, work as proactive participants in the new 
government, and stand at the forefront to successfully 
improve South-North relations.  As able and experienced 
officials, I am sure you can do anything, as long as your 
thinking is right.  If you deal with inter-Korean relations 
in a fairer, more just manner, and with strong dedication, I 
am optimistic that everything will work out well. 
 
End text of remarks. 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT:  Excerpts from President Lee's remarks 
received prominent coverage in local and international print 
media as they indicate once again his harder line of thinking 
in dealing with the North.  We were struck by the President's 
comments on his "love" for the North Korean people, which 
suggested a more personal connection to his fellow Koreans 
while avoiding mention of the DPRK regime.  The remarks also 
dispelled concerns that economic ventures at Mt. Kumgang and 
KIC might come to a halt, as was reported in Korean media in 
recent days.  President Lee has yet to clearly answer key 
policy questions such as whether or not the South will 
provide food and fertilizer aid to the North, and how closely 
progress in the Six-Party talks will be linked to relations 
between the North and South,. But this nuanced statement 
leaves the door open for detailed interactions with the North. 
STANTON