Kim Jong-un, right, has been appointed supreme commander of the military and ruling party leader [Reuters]
South Korea’s president has opened the door to possible nuclear talks with North Korea, but vowed to respond strongly to any provocations from Pyongyang.
President Lee Myung-bak said on Monday in a nationally televised speech that the Korean peninsula is at a ”turning point.”
The comments came as the young son of the late Kim Jong-il took power in North Korea as supreme commander of the military and ruling party leader after Kim’s death last month.
The North vowed on Sunday in a New Year’s message that it would bolster its military and defend the son, Kim Jong-un, “unto death”.
“The situation on the Korean peninsula is now entering a new turning point,” Lee said. “But there should be a new opportunity amid changes and uncertainty.”
He said that if North Korea demonstrated sincerity, a new era on the Korean peninsula could be opened, but warned that South Korea would sternly respond to any attack from Pyongyang.
Carrot and stick
North Korea has regularly criticised Lee since he took office in 2008 and ended a
Read More from the Article Source: Full Article
