Lee vows non-political approach to North Korea By Yoo Cheong-mo

SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday pledged to take a long-term, non-political approach to strained relations with North Korea and map out fundamental strategies to promote peaceful coexistence and co-prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

Meeting with top officials of the foreign, unification and defense ministries
over their key policy plans for 2009, Lee said that his government would further
reinforce its energy and resource diplomacy and make greater preparations for
global climate change by deploying more private experts to its overseas
embassies.
"Inter-Korean relations underwent a period of readjustment over the past year, as
we have consistently held fast to principles. We're still determined to build a
solid inter-Korean relationship, instead of making any hasty move," Lee was
quoted by his spokesman as saying.
"A short-sighted judgment is not desirable. I'll approach the North Korea
problems from a long-term perspective. I will never use inter-Korean relations
for political purposes. We need to devise fundamental strategies for inter-Korean
coexistence and co-prosperity."
In the foreign affairs field, the president again emphasized the need to beef up
diplomatic efforts in the fields of energy and resources and climate change.
"Overseas ambassadors have an important role to play, as far as energy and
resource diplomacy and preparations for climate change are concerned. More
private-sector experts should be sent to the nation's embassies worldwide," the
president was quoted as saying.
Lee instructed defense ministry officials to make efforts to promote
communications between young conscripted soldiers and ranking officers.
Explaining his decision to complete policy briefing sessions by all ministries by
the year's end, Lee reiterated his determination to overcome the economic crisis
ahead of any other countries worldwide.
"Today marks the last day of ministerial policy briefings. I moved up the
schedule in order to overcome the economic crisis in 2009 and prepare for the
future earlier than any other countries," said Lee.
At Lee's instruction, the South Korean government advanced the schedule for its
22 ministries' yearly policy briefings to the president by approximately one
month in a bid to implement its economic stimulus measures as soon as possible.
The first policy briefing by the finance ministry was held on Dec. 18. The
preceding administrations held their annual policy briefings between January and
February.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported to Lee that it aims
to conclude free trade talks with the European Union in the first quarter of 2009
and increase the number of participants in overseas working holiday programs to
over 50,000 to help ease the nation's youth unemployment.
The ministry also vowed to play a greater role in helping Korean companies'
exports and overseas business activities, deepen the alliance with the new U.S.
government through summits and other strategic talks and regularize cooperation
talks with Japan and China.
The Unification Ministry reported its plan to resume dialogue with North Korea
and participate in the North's railway repairs and mine development projects,
while the Defense Ministry unveiled its plan to ship US$1.2 billion worth of
defense goods abroad next year.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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