Seoul - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak called Friday on North Korea to reopen dialogue between the two countries.

Speaking on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule and the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the South Korean state, Lee also urged Pyongyang to eliminate its nuclear weapons programme, which he called a "source of distrust and conflict."

"I am not going to give up the dream of both Koreas living well together," Lee told an audience of 25,000 people in Seoul.

The most important prerequisite for realizing this dream is creating permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, Lee said.

He urged North Korea to replace its weapons programme with projects beneficial to the prosperity of both countries. Lee also reiterated his offer to economically support South Korea's poor communist neighbour.

In meeting with US President George W Bush last week, Lee expressed hope that North Korea would "become a responsible member of the international community as soon as possible and that Korea and the US would be able to help the North actively through international financial organizations."

Relations between the two Koreas have deteriorated since Lee took office in February as he follows a harsher course toward Pyongyang than his liberal predecessors.

Lee made progress in the dispute over North Korea's nuclear programme a condition for extending bilateral economic cooperation. Pyongyang reacted by freezing its dialogue with Seoul. (dpa)