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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Seoul to revive talks with North | Seoul to revive talks with North |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak has proposed reviving direct talks with North Korea, in a major policy shift. | South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak has proposed reviving direct talks with North Korea, in a major policy shift. |
| President Lee told parliament he was willing to carry out previous bilateral summit accords and provide the impoverished North with food aid. | President Lee told parliament he was willing to carry out previous bilateral summit accords and provide the impoverished North with food aid. |
| Correspondents say it signals a U-turn on Mr Lee's previous hardline stance towards Seoul's communist neighbour. | Correspondents say it signals a U-turn on Mr Lee's previous hardline stance towards Seoul's communist neighbour. |
| The move comes a day after six-party talks on the North's nuclear programme resumed after being stalled for months. | The move comes a day after six-party talks on the North's nuclear programme resumed after being stalled for months. |
| Softer stance | Softer stance |
| "Full dialogue between the two Koreas must resume," the president told the National Assembly in Seoul, which is finally convening after weeks of delay amid a domestic political crisis over US beef imports. | "Full dialogue between the two Koreas must resume," the president told the National Assembly in Seoul, which is finally convening after weeks of delay amid a domestic political crisis over US beef imports. |
| He said his government was "willing to engage in serious consultations on how to implement the inter-Korean agreements made so far", including summit pacts reached by his predecessors in 2000 and 2007. | He said his government was "willing to engage in serious consultations on how to implement the inter-Korean agreements made so far", including summit pacts reached by his predecessors in 2000 and 2007. |
| Mr Lee, who took office in February, drew accusations from the North that he was a "traitor" and US "sycophant" when he turned away from the Sunshine Policy of engagement of past presidents. | |
| He linked the provision of economic aid to North Korea with progress on the nuclear issue. | |
| He also caused Pyongyang to bristle when he suggested Seoul would review previous summit accords signed by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, correspondents say. | He also caused Pyongyang to bristle when he suggested Seoul would review previous summit accords signed by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, correspondents say. |
| 'Alleviate pain' | 'Alleviate pain' |
| The North has responded by turning away from dialogue with Seoul and focusing its efforts on key players in six-party process. | The North has responded by turning away from dialogue with Seoul and focusing its efforts on key players in six-party process. |
| Analysts suggest President Lee's move to toughen Seoul's stance towards Pyongyang was ill-timed and has left it sidelined in the nuclear negotiations. | Analysts suggest President Lee's move to toughen Seoul's stance towards Pyongyang was ill-timed and has left it sidelined in the nuclear negotiations. |
| But in his speech to parliament on Friday, Mr Lee said Seoul "is ready to co-operate in efforts to help relieve the food shortage in the North as well as alleviate the pain of the North Korean people". | But in his speech to parliament on Friday, Mr Lee said Seoul "is ready to co-operate in efforts to help relieve the food shortage in the North as well as alleviate the pain of the North Korean people". |