South Korea president tells North to change tone
By Jon Herskovitz
SEOUL, April 3 (Reuters) - South Korea's president on Thursday rebuffed the latest taunts from North Korea, telling his communist neighbour to change its tone and get back to more serious dialogue.
In the past week, the North has hurled personal insults at President Lee Myung-bak, tested missiles and threatened to reduce the wealthy South to ashes.
"We propose that the two sides engage in sincere dialogue, and in order to do so, we believe the North has to move away from its previous ways and actions," the presidential office quoted Lee as telling military chiefs.
Conservative Lee, who took office in late February, has said his liberal predecessors were too soft on the North and has promised to end the free flow of aid North Korea has received over the past decade unless it mends it behaviour and, in particular, makes progress on nuclear disarmament.
The destitute and prickly North has warned it could cut contacts with the South, saying it can survive without its help.
It also threatened to step away from its obligations in a six-way deal aimed at ending its atomic arms ambitions.
Analysts said the North is trying to ratchet up tension in the hope of forcing Lee and his ally, the United States, to drop their tough line toward Pyongyang.
They also said the communist North, which has long tried to influence elections in the South, is worried Lee's power will be strengthened if his conservatives take control of parliament in an April 9 vote, as recent polls indicate they will.
"I think some of these statements are directed at trying to upset the mood in the ROK (South Korea)," Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. envoy to North Korean nuclear talks told reporters in Seoul on Wednesday.
North Korea blames the United States for a delay in the nuclear deal and some analysts have said Pyongyang, with its long record of brinkmanship over the issue, may be hoping to win concessions out of President George W. Bush before his term ends.
Lee will meet Bush in his first overseas trip that comes about a week after the parliamentary election. (Additional reporting by Lee Jiyeon, editing by Jonathan Thatcher and Valerie Lee)
