New South Korean President Lee Myung-bak got straight to diplomacy on his first afternoon in office. He promised the visiting U.S. Secretary of State he would improve on the outgoing administration's ties with the United States.

新上任的韓國總統(tǒng)李明博在執(zhí)政的第一天下午就開始著手處理韓國的外交事務(wù)。李明博向到訪的美國國務(wù)卿賴斯承諾，他將改善韓國與美國的外交關(guān)系。

New South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was making diplomatic inroads within hours of Monday's inauguration ceremony.

韓國新總統(tǒng)李明博在星期一的就職儀式舉行幾個小時之后就取得了外交上的進展。

In a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr. Lee's spokesman, Lee Dong-kwan, says the president looked for a new start.

李明博的發(fā)言人李東官說，李明博在與美國國務(wù)卿賴斯舉行的會談中說，他正在尋求一個新的開始。

He says Mr. Lee told Rice the U.S. - South Korea relationship had been lacking something over the past five years, and had even become "awkward." Mr. Lee then said things would improve under his administration, and that closer ties between the two countries would also help ties between the two Koreas.

李東官說，韓國總統(tǒng)李明博告訴美國國務(wù)卿賴斯，美韓兩國的關(guān)系在過去5年里發(fā)展得不夠全面，兩國關(guān)系變得甚至有些尷尬。李明博接著說，他所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的韓國政府將改變這一局面，而且美韓兩國關(guān)系的加強也將有助于改善韓國與北韓之間的關(guān)系。

Washington has been a close ally of South Korea's since the end of the Second World War, and stations about 28,000 troops here to deter a repeat of North Korea's 1950 invasion. The two are close partners in multinational efforts to end North Korea's nuclear-weapons programs.

美國自二戰(zhàn)末期以來一直是韓國的親密盟國，美國在韓國部署了大約2萬8千人的軍隊以防止北韓1950年入侵事件的重演。兩國在為結(jié)束北韓的核武器項目所進行的多國努力方面也是密切的合作夥伴。

But most experts agree the alliance was strained during the administration of Mr. Lee's predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, mainly over differences in perception of North Korea. Mr. Lee has vowed to revamp what South Koreans view as Mr. Roh's overly generous and uncritical policy of economic aid to Pyongyang.

不過，大部分專家一致認(rèn)為，在韓國前任總統(tǒng)盧武鉉的統(tǒng)治下，美韓之間的盟國關(guān)系有些緊張，這主要是因為兩國對北韓的看法有所不同。李明博誓言要改變韓國人看到的盧武鉉總統(tǒng)對北韓采取的過于寬容和不加鑒別的經(jīng)濟援助政策。

Secretary Rice praised Mr. Lee's inaugural-speech pledge to fortify the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and said the relationship between the two countries will remain strong.

美國國務(wù)卿賴斯贊揚了李明博在就職演講中誓言加強韓美聯(lián)盟的做法，并且說兩國關(guān)系將保持密切。

"It is a relationship that has only deepened over the years because we share something very important - as much as we share strategic interests, we also share common values," she said.

賴斯說：“美韓兩國關(guān)系在過去之所以得到加強是因為兩國分享共同的戰(zhàn)略利益，而且兩國擁有相同的價值觀。”

Mr. Lee also met with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who said afterwards the two countries had agreed to resume frequent high-level contacts and to communicate in a "frank and comfortable" manner.

李明博還會見了日本首相福田康夫。福田康夫在會晤后表示，兩國同意重新開始頻繁的高層會談，并同意進行“真誠且輕松”的交流。

Japan subjected the Korean peninsula to harsh colonial rule during the first half of the 20th century, and South Korea has often accused Japan of whitewashing its imperial past. Mr. Lee's predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, halted certain diplomatic contacts with Tokyo in a dispute over visits by Japanese politicians to a controversial war shrine which honors convicted war criminals alongside other Japanese war dead.

日本在20世紀(jì)上半葉置朝鮮半島于殘酷的殖民統(tǒng)治之下。韓國常常指責(zé)日本洗刷其帝國侵略史。由于日本政府官員參拜有爭議的供奉日本戰(zhàn)犯靈位和其他日本戰(zhàn)爭亡靈的靖國神社，韓國前任總統(tǒng)盧武鉉曾經(jīng)中止與日本的一些外交往來。