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South Korea's president says Seoul is willing to have open-minded talks with North Korea. Tensions have risen in the region following the start of South Korean-U.S. joint military exercises earlier this week.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak says Seoul is willing to have talks with North Korea.
[Lee Myung-bak, South Korean President]:
"Now is the opportune time to open a new kind of future on the Korean Peninsula. We are ready to engage in dialogue with the North anytime with an open mind."
A joint military drill between the United States and South Korea, which started on Monday has increased tension between the rival states.
On Sunday the North threatened to fire across a land border with South Korea.
Lee called on the North to take responsibility for its military provocation last year -- a torpedo attack on a South Korean warship, killing 46 sailors and a shelling attack on a border island which killed four.
[Lee Myung-bak, South Korean President]:
"North Korea should come to the road of reconciliation and cooperation instead of nuclear weapons or missiles, with responsible actions regarding the military provocation."
North Korea says it wants to return to the broader six-party talks, but Seoul and Washington have questioned its sincerity -- pointing to its revelations in November about a uranium-enrichment program.
While the two sides are not talking, the risk of provocation increases.
South Korean media reports say the North is digging tunnels at a site where it has launched two nuclear tests, suggesting it is preparing for a third.
