President-elect Lee Myung-bak said Thursday he would not shy away from criticizing North Korea's authoritarian regime, the day after his landslide win ended a decade of liberal rule that has fostered unprecedented reconciliation on the divided peninsula, The Associated Press reported.
"I think unconditionally avoiding criticism of North Korea would not be appropriate," Lee told a news conference. "If we try to point out North Korea's shortcomings, with affection, I think that would go a long way toward improving North Korean society, " AP reported.
The victory by Lee of the conservative Grand National Party marks a shift to the right in Seoul after a decade of liberal presidents -- who pursued a "sunshine" policy of engaging the North and largely refrained from criticism of its human rights record, AP reported. 
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CNN's Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae contributed to this report.
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All About South Korea • Lee Myung-bak • North Korea