South Korea's president urged North Korea Monday to embrace a “new era” by using its recent leadership hand-over as an opportunity to transform Korean ties, but warned that Seoul would respond sternly to any provocations. Lee Myung-bak's comments in a nationally televised speech come as the young son of Kim Jong-il takes power in North Korea as supreme commander of the military and ruling party leader after Kim's death last month. Lee said Kim Jong-il's death is “portending a sea change” for the Korean peninsula. “If North Korea comes forward with a sincere attitude, it will be possible for us to work together to open a new era,” he added. North Korea said last week that it would never deal with Lee, but Kim Jong-un's rise could offer a chance to improve ties that have suffered since Lee took office in 2008 and ended a no-strings-attached aid policy toward the North. The young Kim had a brief meeting in Pyongyang late last month with a former South Korean first lady and a business leader who were leading private mourning delegations to pay respects to Kim Jong-il. Lee said the Korean peninsula is at a turning point and “new opportunities always emerge amid such changes.”
