South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that the door for inter-Korean dialogue remains open but North Korea should first show its seriousness about the talks.

"I remind the North that the path toward peace is yet open. The door for dialogue is still open," Lee said in his New Year's address broadcast live.

Lee reiterated that should the North show sincerity, the South has "both the will and the plan to drastically enhance economic cooperation" in partnership with other nations.

He also called for the international community to make joint efforts to coax Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear program.

"It is imperative now more than ever for countries concerned to play a fair and responsible role," he said, apparently referring to the participating countries in the long-stalled six-way nuclear talks -- China, the U.S., Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.

The president stressed that unity is the best tool for national security.

"We should stand together as one on the issue of national security. We must not forget that the best possible security measure is a people united," he said. 

(Yonhap News)