Former Pres. Kim Dae-jung has called for the United States to open a direct dialogue with North Korea.

Speaking at a World Economic Forum conference in Seoul, the former president also urged the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions in return for the U.S. security guarantees and help in Pyongyang's entry into the international community.

As for North Korea's alleged human rights violations, Mr. Kim said he is very much concerned about the issue, but the issue should be approached step by step on a long term perspective.

He said that blanket criticism of the North's human rights record would lead to the suspension of exchanges now underway.

The Asian conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF) came to a close on Monday after a two-day session in Seoul.