South Korea's Lee says to continue engaging North

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's president-elect Lee Myung-bak said on Thursday his conservative government will press North Korea to drop its nuclear arms program but was mindful of the need to be patient with the communist state.

Lee's transition team on Wednesday said the ministry that has long handled ties with the North will be scrapped and its functions absorbed into other agencies.

"We will continue to persuade North Korea that giving up its nuclear weapons programs will benefit both its regime and its people," Lee said in a prepared speech to the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club.

But he added: "We remain patient and mindful of the need to proceed carefully."

Lee, a conservative former mayor of Seoul who takes office on February 25, had talked tough on North Korea throughout his election campaign, promising to link future aid to the North's behavior.

North Korea has not directly mentioned Lee in its official media since his win on December 19 but on Wednesday made an oblique criticism of him.

Lee said he supports six-country negotiations on ending the North's nuclear arms program in return for massive aid and better diplomatic standing.

"We stand ready to implement a bold policy that seeks to increase North Korea's economic capability within a decade up to the level where per capita (income) reaches $3,000," Lee said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Thatcher and Jack Kim; Editing by Alex Richardson)