New optimism as Roh-Bush talks set

Is it possible to set a new role in the future within friendship?

New optimism as Roh-Bush talks set

May 25, 2005 ㅡ Apparently judging that now is a favorable time to seek common ground with Washington over how to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, President Roh Moo-hyun will fly to Washington D.C. early next month to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush. Diplomatic sources in Seoul said yesterday Mr. Roh and Mr. Bush agreed to hold talks on June 10, Washington time, at the White House. Mr. Roh will leave for Washington on June 9, Seoul time, and return to Korea immediately after the talks. "The two leaders will have discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue and advancing the South Korea-U.S. alliance," a foreign affairs official who asked for anonymity said. "Mr. Roh will review and emphasize the efforts to solve the nuclear issue peacefully and diplomatically." Asked whether the two leaders would talk about "other possibilities," such as putting the nuclear issue before the UN Security Council, the official said, "It cannot be predicted." Since Pyongyang's boycott of the six-party disarmament talks last September and its declaration earlier this year that it possesses nuclear weapons, the nuclear issue has been building toward a crisis. But now the Roh administration appears to believe that, with the recent betterment of inter-Korean relations, it can resolve the situation. A Foreign Ministry official said yesterday that during the summit Mr. Roh will try to persuade Washington that the issue can now be managed in a more positive way, as inter-Korean talks were recently normalized after a freeze of 10 months. At the same time, North Korean and U.S. officials have met in New York. Another government official said yesterday the Roh administration was originally seeking a meeting of the two leaders in late June or early July but moved up the date due to the favorable circumstances. The official said the Roh administration expects support from Washington and will use it later in negotiations with Pyongyang. The two Koreas are scheduled to have official talks June 14-17 and June 21-24. "Mr. Roh will ask Washington to refrain from agitating Pyongyang with verbal attacks until Pyongyang makes a final decision," the official said.

by Choi Hoon, Min Seong-jae <iamfine@joongang.co.kr>