S. Korean prime minister nominee offers conditional talks with N. Korea

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- The nominee for South Korean prime minister on Tuesday offered conditional talks with North Korea in an apparent move to try to ease tensions and coax Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.

Lee Nak-yon said North Korea should freeze its nuclear program before coming back to the negotiating table.

South and North Korea can "hold a dialogue if there is a shift in North Korea's attitude or under the right circumstances," Lee said in written comments to the parliament for his confirmation hearing. The two Koreas last held high-level talks in 2015.

Tensions have spiked on the Korean Peninsula in recent years over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. On Sunday, the North test-fired a ballistic missile -- the latest in a series of provocations -- drawing fresh condemnation from the U.N. Security Council.

Lee also called for stern retaliation if provoked, and said South Korea should use all means available, including sanctions and dialogue, to bring about North Korea's denuclearization.

North Korea agreed to freeze and eventually dismantle its plutonium-based bomb program in return for economic rewards under the Geneva accord in 1994.

The deal collapsed in 2002 when the U.S. accused North Korea of running a secret uranium nuclear program, sparking the latest nuclear crisis.

North Korea has since carried out five nuclear tests and dozens of missile tests as it seeks to develop a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States.

Despite sanctions and pressure, North Korea has repeatedly vowed to further develop its missile and nuclear weapons program, viewing it as a deterrent against what it claims is Washington's hostile policy against it.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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