Lee Myung-bak, South Korea's President, urged his fellow- countrymen Monday to halt their "ideological confrontation of attrition" and remain united to ensure the nation's economic progress.
His remarks came at a function held in Cheonan near capital Seoul, marking the anniversary of the Korean uprising against Japanese rule.
"We can't take even a step forward if locked in the obsolete frame of ideology. We can't go on the path of advancement if the people remain divided due to confrontation and conflict," he said, adding that his push for "centrist, pragmatic" policies would continue.
His remarks came even as opposition parties rejected his move to scrap the proposed administrative town scheduled to come up near Cheonan.
Lee's alternative plan to turn Sejong City into a "science-and-business hub", however, met with strong opposition from his own party members.
Regarding ties with estranged North Korea, he said that the reclusive Communist state should seek a sincere dialogue on inter-Korean talks.
"To open the bright future of South and North Korea, North Korea should change its mindset to regard South Korea only as a partner for economic co-operation," Lee said.
A vocal critic of the Sunshine policy of the earlier government for engaging North Korea, he linked inter-Korean economic ties with progress made in denuclearizing the North.
Lee observed that reconciliation and co-operation were necessary for a lasting peace in the region, and North Korea should now show its sincerity through action.
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