Seoul urges Pyongyang to have dialogue

SEOUL, Republic of Korea - Republic of Korea (ROK) President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to talks, but the chances looked slim as he stopped short of dropping his demand for the DPRK to take responsibility for attacks last year.

The call comes as tension has started to rise again on the Korean Peninsula, which had looked close to war late last year, with the DPRK expressing outrage at this week's military exercises by the ROK and the United States and the dropping of leaflets across the border with details of the unrest sweeping through the Middle East.

"We are prepared for dialogue with North Korea (the DPRK) at any time and with an open mind," Lee said during a speech marking the anniversary of a 1919 anti-Japanese uprising.