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Upon confirming his landslide victory in the election, Lee from the conservative opposition rushed to meet U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow Thursday to discuss ways to repair alliance between the two countries.
At the meeting at his office in Seoul, Lee said the "South Korea-U.S. relationship for the past five years has not gone completely bad, but lacked sufficient trust between the two sides."
"After new administration comes into office in February, the South Korea-U.S. relationship will be reshaped," Lee told the U.S. envoy. "I will strive for harmony for the sake of national interests of both countries."
Lee pledged to closely coordinate with the United States to end North Korea's nuclear weapons drive, stressing a complete resolution of the nuclear standoff is the crucial condition for economic aid to the North.
Lee also spoke by telephone with U.S. President George W. Bush, who congratulated him on his election victory and invited him to visit Washington. Lee has accepted the invitation and plans go to the United States soon after his inauguration in February.
"I will do my utmost to solidify South Korea-U.S. ties and to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue through mutual cooperation," Lee was quoted as telling Bush.
Analysts here said the Bush administration has welcomed Lee's election because his tough stance towards North Korea could help Washington's push for persuading the North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programs in return for economic and political benefits.
The United States has been concerned that Seoul's unconditional massive aid could weaken Pyongyang's motivation for disarmament steps. But now it expects greater cooperation with Seoul with the departure of left-leaning President Roh Moo-hyun who has pursued an unconditional reconciliation with the North, analysts say.
Washington and Seoul have repeatedly locked horns over how to deal with North Korea for the past five years since Roh took office in early 2003. Roh was elected on the back of a strong wave of anti-American sentiment, pledging not to "kowtow" to the United States.
"But with the rise of a conservative government in Seoul, South Korea and the United States would have smooth coordination in dealing with North Korea and other security issues," said Paik Hak-soon, a researcher at Seoul's private Sejong Institute
Indicating its hope of better ties, the Bush administration plans to send Seoul a delegation of deputy assistant secretaries from the departments of defense, state and commerce in early January for talks with Lee's staff about the North Korean nuclear problem, the Seoul-Washington alliance and bilateral trade, according to media reports here.
It is unprecedented for the United States to decide to send a delegation to Seoul immediately after a new president is elected in South Korea. Lee plans to send his team to Washington late next month for second round of discussions.
Lee also used his first press conference since his election victory to pledge to strengthen ties with the United States. "I will do my part in reinforcing the Korean-American alliance based on commonly share values and common aspirations for peace," he told local and foreign reporters who packed a Seoul press room.
The president-elect also vowed to join hands with the United States to make North Korea nuclear free. "The most important thing is for North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons," he said. "I pledge before you to open an era of peace on the Korean peninsula without nuclear weapons."
Lee vowed to link economic aid to North Korea to its disarmament process, saying: "North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear programs and capabilities is a path towards its own (economic) development."
He also said he would not hesitate to criticize the North's human rights violations, which has been taboo under a decade of left-leaning rule. Roh and his fellow liberal predecessor Kim Dae-jung had maintained a low-key stance toward human right abuse in North Korea for fear of creating friction with the Pyongyang that could upset the fragile inter-Korean reconciliation process.
"The human rights issue is something we cannot avoid in this regard, and North Korea should know it," Lee said.
Lee called for more international attention on the North's human rights situations, saying international criticism of South Korean human rights violations in the 1960s had helped the country improve its human rights conditions.
"If we try to point out North Korea's shortcomings with affection, then I think that will go a long way towards improving North Korea society," he said.
