SEOUL, May 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Wednesday that it is time for his country to adopt independent diplomacy from the United States.

    "Now it's time to choose an independent course of diplomacy," Roh said at a meeting of the National Unification Advisory Councilin Seoul.

    "So far, we have made a success through dependence on the U.S,"the president said.

    "But living a dependent life is different from living independently and maintaining a close friendship. The two countries will remain friends forever," Roh added.

    Earlier on the day, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said his country clearly opposes any efforts to change the regime of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    The South Korean government criticized Jay Lefkowitz, Washington's special envoy for DPRK's human rights, last weekend on his remarks that Seoul's economic cooperation and humanitarian aids to the DPRK might be feeding and helping DPRK's regime.

    However, Lee added "An alliance, or cooperation, is to work toward an agreement despite differences. It would be wrong to say the (U.S.-South Korean) alliance would be broken because of this."

    According to the Unification Ministry, South Korea has providedover 2 million tons of rice and 2 million tons of fertilizer to the DPRK since the late 1990s. Enditem