South urges N. Korea-U.S. dialogue

President Kim Dae-jung speaks to the nation during Monday's New Year's press conference at the presidential palace

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has urged North Korea to respond unconditionally to repeated U.S. offers to rekindle talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Kim has also asked the United States to change its policy towards the communist North Korea in order to help it "save face."

The statement came as the president vowed to persevere with his fight against corruption, with an apology to the nation on Monday for a series of scandals involving senior officials.

Dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is seen as key to reviving the Korean peace process.

In June 2001, the Bush administration offered Pyongyang diplomatic talks with no strings attached, but North Korea declined to take up the offer.

News of a visit to Seoul by U.S. President George W. Bush in late February is also likely to contribute to safety and peace on the Korean Peninsula, government officials and analysts told Reuters news agency.

North 'eager for dialogue'

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Although North Korea has snubbed the U.S. offer so far, Kim told reporters he thought the North was "eager for dialogue" with Washington, a topic he would discuss in detail with Bush next month.

"The Bush administration has said it would like to meet the North Koreans anywhere and at any time. We encourage North Korea to accept the U.S. offer without conditions," Kim told a news conference at the Blue House presidential mansion.

He said there were "no clear prospects" for U.S.-North Korean relations, but he was looking forward to discussing the issue with the American leader.

Bush will spend February 19-20 in Seoul, in between visits to Japan and China.

Scandal

The statement on the North came as South Korea's prosecutor general offered to resign, the latest victim in a series of corruption scandals rocking the government.

Shin Seung-nam submitted his resignation a few hours after one of his younger brothers was arrested Sunday night for his alleged involvement in a growing bribery scandal, chief presidential spokesman Oh Hong-keun said Monday.

President Kim was expected to accept Shin's resignation and again issue an apology to the nation, Associated Press news agency reported aides as saying.

The president has already apologized to the nation several times for corruption scandals that have implicated high-ranking government officials.

The prosecutor general was not directly involved in the latest scandal but his spokesman, Lee Jong-hoon, said he wanted to take "moral responsibility" for his younger brother's arrest on bribery charges.

In South Korea, it is common that a high-ranking government official is held responsible for wrongdoing committed by subordinates or relatives.