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S Korea's Lee eager for stake in Siberian energy

South Korean president-elect Lee Myung-bak yesterday expressed strong interest in joint energy development in Russia's resource-rich Siberia with the help of North Korean labor.

Lee told Russian Ambassador Gleb Ivashentsov he would make a massive development project there a priority after taking office in February.

"It would be beneficial for both countries if Russia and South Korea work together to develop East Siberia," Lee told the Russian envoy during a congratulatory visit, according to Lee's office.

"I want to start the project early after my inauguration. We may take advantage of North Korean labor," Lee said. "As Russia has energy resources South Korea needs, and there are other mutually necessary projects, I want to forge cooperative relations with Russia."

Ivashentsov gave Lee a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the Russian leader congratulated Lee and invited him to Moscow, expressing hope for stronger relations between the two countries during Lee's term.

Lee, a former CEO of the conglomerate Hyundai Group, won Wednesday's election by a landslide on a wave of discontent for incumbent President Roh Moo-hyun, who was criticized for the country's slowing economy.

Lee has made the issue a priority and one of the first things he said after his win was "reviving the economy" would be his highest priority.

Later yesterday, Lee urged North Korea to scrap all its nuclear weapons for its own good and promised closer international cooperation to achieve the goal.

"We appreciate that China has the same thought as us that the disarmament of North Korea is for its own benefit," Lee told Chinese Ambassador Ning Fukui (寧賦魁), part of a round of consultations with envoys from regional powers.

"We have high expectations of China that it has a key role to play," Lee was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.

Lee has promised to push North Korea to denuclearize and improve its human rights record in return for economic aid. He says he will link aid more closely to disarmament that was the case with Seoul's liberal governments over the past decade.

Lee called for a stronger alliance between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo in working towards the North's nuclear disarmament during a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda yesterday.

"The three-way cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan is most important in solving the North Korea nuclear issue," Lee was quoted as saying by his spokesperson Park Hyong-joon. "I promise to do my best in boosting bilateral ties with Japan to achieve the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."
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