Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

ROK head proposes 'grand bargain'

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-22 04:24

ROK's President Lee Myung-bak speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on September 21, 2009. [Agencies]

NEW YORK：The President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Myung-bak has proposed what he calls a "grand bargain" to restart disarmament negotiations and end the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear arms program.

The Yonhap news agency reports that Lee's proposal calls for giving the North economic and political incentives, including a security guarantee.

Lee spoke Monday in New York, where the UN General Assembly meets this week.

Unlike past deals, Lee called for making Pyongyang dismantle its nuclear program from the start, instead of in phases.

The DPRK leader Kim Jong Il has reportedly expressed interest in "bilateral and multilateral talks," indicating Pyongyang could rejoin the stalled six-party negotiations. The DPRK pulled out of the talks to protest criticism of its rocket launch earlier this year.