Meeting with a six-person delegation of U.S. lawmakers at the Blue House this morning, President Lee Myung Bak declared that dealing with human rights problems represents the foremost task in dealing with North Korea itself.

“The human rights issue is no less important than nuclear tests or missile launches,” he said, adding, “Indeed, the problem of North Korean people’s human rights is the problem that must be dealt with more urgently.”

President Lee also thanked the U.S. delegation, which is being led by Florida Republican and long-time North Korean human rights advocate Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for efforts to develop bilateral relations, and requested the ongoing interest of members of the House of Representatives in the development of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.