tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902636707210848432.post-87311094212372887652008-04-18T11:56:00.002-06:002008-04-18T11:59:46.501-06:00It will be very interesting to see how this works out, but it seems that all of Asia is finally making a real push toward co-operation with each other. Which is always good.<br /><blockquote><br />South Korean President Lee Myung-bak proposed Thursday the creation of the first liaison offices in the capitals of the two Koreas, which are technically in a state of war.<br /><br />He told the Washington Post newspaper in an interview during his visit to the United States that the proposed offices in Seoul and Pyongyang would act as a permanent communication link.<br /><br />"When I go back, and this is the first time I am publicly making this recommendation and suggestion: we need ... to open a permanent dialogue channel between the two Koreas," the new South Korean leader told the Post.<br /><br />"In the past, we had dialogue between the two Koreas when there was a need and then if there wasn't a need, the dialogue would close," Lee said ahead of talks with US President George W. Bush on Friday.<br /><br />"I don't think that is helpful in the situation," he said.<br /><br />Unlike his two predecessors, conservative Lee has promised a firmer line on North Korea, linking aid to nuclear disarmament in a move that has angered the hardline communist state.<br /><br />The North has kicked South Korean officials out of a joint industrial complex in the North's border city of Kaesong, test-fired missiles and accused Seoul of breaching the country's sea border.<br /><br />Pyongyang has also threatened to turn its neighbour into "ashes".<br /><br />But Lee said the two Koreas were in an "adjustment period" after he took over in February, following 10 years of rule in Seoul by liberal presidents who preached engagement.<br /><br />"Both North and South Korea must change their ways," Lee said. "It is not sufficient for North Korea to resort to their old ways." </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3876835-1"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script></div>Joe Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00964841713362766629noreply@blogger.com