Lee, Aso rap N. Korea over refusal to declare nuclear program

(ATTN: UPDATES with Korean spokesman's briefing in paras 2-5)
By Yoo Cheong-mo
FUKUOKA, Japan, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso expressed regrets at North Korea's recent
refusal to agree to verification measures for its nuclear program during their
bilateral summit talks here on Saturday, Lee's spokesman said.
Lee and Aso also agreed to launch a number of joint peace-building and
reconstruction projects in Afghanistan timed with the January inauguration of
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who has repeatedly called for greater Asian
contributions to the war-torn country, according to spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.
In addition, the two leaders shared the understanding that South Korea and Japan
should join forces to further strengthen their manufacturing sectors and avoid
mistakes made by troubled U.S. manufacturers, said the spokesman.
"Both Lee and Aso consented to the need for steady efforts to boost bilateral
relations and the Japanese prime minister agreed to visit South Korea in the
nearest possible future to resume bilateral shuttle diplomacy," said spokesman
Lee.
"Lee expressed gratitude for Japan's latest decision to expand bilateral currency
swap line, while Aso expressed a wish to accelerate the deadlocked free trade
talks between Seoul and Tokyo. The two then agreed to cooperate in spurning trade
protectionism worldwide through the Group of 20 summit," said the spokesman.
Lee and Aso also agreed to strengthen policy cooperation between their countries
for the denuclearization of North Korea at the summit talks, which were held
ahead of a tripartite summit that will also involve Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Lee, who arrived here earlier on Saturday for the bilateral and trilateral
summits, met separately with Wen in the afternoon.
"Lee and Aso voiced regret over North Korea's failure to cooperate in the efforts
of South Korea, Japan, the U.S., China and Russia to verify the North's nuclear
weapons program at the latest six-party talks in Beijing," a statement released
by Lee's office said.
"The two leaders then agreed to closely cooperate in implementing the
denuclearization of North Korea."
The five countries have been engaged in the China-hosted six-party talks with
North Korea, which has agreed in principle to scrap its nuclear program in return
for aid and diplomatic benefits.
But the latest session of the six-party talks broke down Thursday after North
Korea refused to accept a Chinese draft verification plan that called for nuclear
inspectors to be able to remove samples from North Korean nuclear sites for
outside analysis.
According to the statement, Lee and Aso also agreed on reinforcing existing
currency swap deals concluded between their countries and accelerate a separate
agreement with Southeast Asian nations to create an US$80 billion joint fund by
next June to cushion the region against the financial crisis.
On Friday, South Korea's central bank announced agreements with its Japanese and
Chinese counterparts to expand the ceiling of their respective foreign currency
credit swap lines to $30 billion.
South Korea, faced with a weakening won and declining foreign exchange reserves,
has long sought to expand its foreign currency swap lines with the U.S., Japan
and China.
Meanwhile, Lee and Aso discussed follow-up measures for the agreements reached at
the Group of 20 summit held in the U.S. last month before exchanging opinions on
the agenda for the next G-20 summit slated for April 2 in London.
Lee and Aso held their first summit in Beijing in late October on the sidelines
of the Asia-Europe Meeting summit, where they agreed to pursue a "mature
partnership" between South Korea and Japan and resume bilateral shuttle summit
diplomacy, which was suspended following the outbreak of bilateral territorial
and historical conflicts earlier this year.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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