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Korean reunification premature but a must: Kim

SEOUL: South Korean President Kim Dae-jung said on Wednesday that talk about reunifying the divided Korean peninsula was premature but a unified Korea remained a goal the Korean people could never abandon.

"Right now, it is premature to talk about territorial reunification," Kim said during a ceremony to mark Independence Movement Day. "(But) the Korean people, who lived in a unified country for more than 1,300 years, cannot abandon unification just because they have been separated for 50 years."

Kim said attempting to unify the divided nation was premature because the country did not have enough economic resources to support unification and people could not overcome psychological conflicts in a short time.

South and North Korea fought each other from 1950 to 1953 but remain technically at war as the conflict ended only in an armed truce instead of a peace agreement.

"However, all these things do not mean that we will go our separate ways forever," Kim said.

Before attempting a territorial unification with Pyongyang, Kim said the South's immediate object was ending tension on the peninsula through the so-called "Sunshine Policy" of seeking expanded exchanges and trade.

He stressed the policy promised North Korea security, economic recovery and access to various international resources on the condition that Pyongyang renounce armed provocation against the South and its ambition to develop nuclear weapons.

"Over 100 small and medium-sized businesses are operating in North Korea, and big businesses are negotiating with Pyongyang for major industrial projects there," Kim said, referring to the fledgling business projects between companies in both sides.

"If we push our policies with consistency and perseverance, I believe we will be able to dismantle the Cold-War structure on the peninsula before I leave office," said Kim, who is set to leave the office in February 2003.-Reuters