The South Korean President, Mr Kim Dae-jung, yesterday called on North Korea to take up an offer to reopen talks with the United States which could lead to the stalled Korean unification dialogue getting back on track.
President Kim said he would raise the issue with President Bush when he visits Seoul in February as part of an Asian tour that will also take him to Japan and China.
"To reopen talks with North Korea, I think the United States needs to assume a posture that will save face for the North," he said.
President Bush offered last June to reopen dialogue with North Korea on its missile and nuclear programmes and its heavy deployment of conventional weapons near the border with South Korea. However, North Korea has rejected Mr Bush's offer of dialogue. President Kim also apologised yesterday for a series of scandals involving government officials, and said he would set up an independent investigative agency.
Mr Park Joon-Young, the chief government spokesman, resigned last week over his links with a corrupt businessman and the prosecutor-general, Mr Shin Seung-nam, offered to resign after his younger brother was arrested.