Rice sounds sour notes on North Korea despite musical thaw

SEOUL, South Korea — Despite a symbolic symphonic thaw with North Korea, the only music the Bush administration is making here is with South Korea's new, pro-U.S. president who has vowed a tougher line on his Stalinist neighbor.

On the eve of a landmark performance in Pyongyang by the New York Philharmonic, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was next door in Seoul on Monday lauding President Lee Myung-bak and his intent to hold North Korea to its pledge to abandon nuclear weapons.

With attention focused on the orchestra, Rice pointedly ignored the unprecedented event that some have dubbed "violin diplomacy," and instead went out of her way twice to compliment Lee on his choice of the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to end his swearing-in ceremony.

In two brief encounters before reporters, the classically trained pianist first hailed "the universal strains of Beethoven performed so beautifully" by South Korean musicians and a choir and then told Lee himself the selection was "beautiful."

By contrast, Rice last week said she was pleased the Philharmonic would be playing a work by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak in Pyongyang, but dismissed the concert, saying: "I don't think we should get carried away with what listening to Dvorak is going to do in North Korea."

In Seoul, Rice also noted the United States and South Korea share deep "strategic interests" and "common values" like democracy and praised Lee's inaugural address in which he promised to "strengthen our strategic alliance with the United States" and demanded openness from the North.

In his speech, Lee told South Koreans, and by extension Koreans in the North, that only "once North Korea abandons its nuclear program and chooses the path to openness" can people expect to see "a new horizon in inter-Korean cooperation."

Rice declined to answer questions about her private discussions with Lee and incoming South Korean foreign minister Yu Myung-hwan, but senior officials from both sides said that what she heard was, well, music to her ears.

"We welcome this," said Christopher Hill, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, referring to Lee's plan to put a more critical eye on Seoul's policy of detente with the North than his two immediate predecessors.

They were accused of showering unconditional aid and concessions on North Korea as part of reconciliation efforts while getting little in return, something that had vexed Washington.