Inhisfirstcommentoninter-Koreanrelationshipaftertakingoffice, however, thePresidentlinkedallcross-bordertiestodenuclearization. Lee'sconsistencywasstrictlylimitedby the timeframe.코리아타임즈소리듣기그러나취임후첫남북관계에대한언급에서대통령은모든남북관계를비핵화에연계했다.이대통령의일관성은시간의틀에의해한정된것이었다.
"To be fair, however, at leasthalfoftheresponsibilitylieswiththeLee Myung-bak administrationifinter-Koreanrelationshipskeepaggravatinglike thisuntiltheyreachthelevelofCold Wardays. More specifically, itistheLeeadministration's ""nuclearfundamentalism,"" whichlinkseverythingtotheNorth'sdenuclearizationandkeepsallkindsofinter-Koreanties, includingeconomic, culturalandevenhumanitarianones, atastandstill."코리아타임즈소리듣기"그러나공정하게말하면남북관계가이렇게악화되어서냉전시절수준으로돌아가면최소한절반의책임은이명박정부에있다. 보다 구체적으로는만사를북한의비핵화에연계시키고경제, 문화심지어인도주의적관계마저정지시킨이명박정부의 ""핵근본주의""가문제이다."