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Lee says Seoul ready to take self-defense measures against future N. Korean provocations
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Monday South Korea will immediately use the right of self-defense in case of any additional North Korean provocation, adding Seoul will ditch all inter-Korean exchanges except for the joint industrial park in Kaesong as the first punitive step for the North's March attack on one of the South's warships.
In a public address broadcast live, Lee defined the sinking as "North Korea's military attack" on South Korea and said Seoul will request the U.N. Security Council to take up the case.
"If our territorial waters, airspace or territory are violated, we will immediately exercise our right of self-defense," he said.
Lee also announced his government will suspend all exchange programs with the North except for the Kaesong project and will maintain minimum levels of humanitarian aid for infants and children living in the impoverished communist country.
"Under these circumstances, any inter-Korean trade or other cooperative activity is meaningless," the president said, adding North Korean ships will no longer be allowed to use South Korean waterways that have served as short-cuts.
"I solemnly urge the North Korean authorities to do the following. Apologize immediately to the Republic of Korea and the international community. Immediately punish those who are responsible for and those who are involved in the incident," he added, using South Korea's official name.
The president's speech came after a team of multinational investigators last week concluded that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the 1,200-ton warship, the Cheonan, on March 26 in waters just below the Koreas' western sea border, killing 46 South Korean sailors.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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