Dec. 19 (Asia Today) -- President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that while North Korea's "hostile two-state" line may reflect current realities, South Korea must "return to our proper place" and work to restore channels for contact, dialogue and cooperation.
Speaking at a joint work report by the Foreign Ministry and the Unification Ministry at the Government Complex Seoul, Lee pointed to what he described as an unprecedented buildup along the inter-Korean boundary.
"For the first time since the 1950s war, North Korea has erected triple fences along the entire demarcation line, severed bridges, cut off roads and built retaining walls," Lee said. He added that North Korea may have acted out of concern that the South could invade, but said it was regrettable and appeared tied to "strategic desires."
Lee said the moves could be part of Pyongyang's strategy, but argued South Korea must respond with patience and sustained effort to improve what he described as a situation in which the North "fundamentally refuses contact itself."
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