Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 09, 2002
S.Korean President Emphasizes Need to Help DPRK's Changes
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung Wednesday said his government should help Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) realize its recent policy changes, according to national news agency Yonhap News.
South Korean President Kim Dae-jung Wednesday said his government should help Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) realize its recent policy changes, according to national news agency Yonhap News.
In a written interview with the local daily Korean newspaper Naeil Shinmoon, Kim said, "Since the DPRK's policy of reform would play a positive role in improving inter-Korean relations, we should help it change in a stable manner. However it is difficult to predict whether the changes will succeed."
This is the first time President himself made formal remarks on the issue.
Kim said a possible summit among South Korea, the United States and Japan on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit slated for Mexico on Nov. 26-27, would be used to evaluate the recent developments in the DPRK's respective relationship with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
"The trilateral summit would also address ways to secure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula by further accelerating the DPRK's current changes," he added.
Kim predicted Pyongyang-Washington relations would improve if the DPRK's relationship with Seoul and Tokyo made progress and that the government would cooperate closely with Washington to allow pending issues between the DPRK and the United States to be resolved through dialogue, said Yonhap.