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Bush: 'Good progress' in N. Korea nuke impasse
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is making "good progress" in trying to find a solution to the nuclear standoff with North Korea, U.S. President George W. Bush said after meeting with South Korean leader Roh Moo-hyun at the White House. "I assured the president we will continue to work to achieve a peaceful solution," Bush said in brief remarks in the Rose Garden. "We're making good progress toward achieving that peaceful resolution of the issue of the Korean peninsula in regards to North Korea." After their first face-to-face meeting Wednesday, both leaders also said they expected the United States and South Korea to maintain the strong alliance they have shared for the last 50 years. "When I left Korea, I had both concerns and hopes in my mind," said Roh, who took power earlier this year. "Now, after having talked to President Bush, I have gotten rid of all my concerns. And now, I return to Korea only with hopes in my mind." Bush said he found Roh "an easy man to talk to." "He expresses his opinions very clearly," Bush said. "We will work to have the best possible relations between our countries, and it's based upon close consultation on a wide variety of issues." In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the United States and South Korea reiterated that they "will not tolerate" nuclear weapons in North Korea and expressed "serious concern" about recent North Korean claims about having nuclear weapons and processing nuclear material, as well as threats by Pyongyang to demonstrate nuclear weapons or transfer them. 'Peaceful means'In their statement, Roh and Bush said "escalatory moves by North Korea will only lead to its greater isolation and a more desperate situation in the North." However, the two leaders also pledged to work for nuclear disarmament on the Korean peninsula "through peaceful means based on international cooperation," and they said that humanitarian aid to North Korea won't be linked to political developments. Despite the emphasis on peaceful means, a senior Bush administration official said, "We've never said we're taking the military option off the table, and the South Koreans haven't asked." "It's something ... that's always in your back pocket in diplomacy because that's how you make diplomacy work," the official said. Since arriving in the United States, Roh has acknowledged some differences with the United States over how to deal with North Korea. But the new president also said he is determined to reach a common approach with the Bush administration that emphasizes diplomacy and seeks to resolve the impasse by peaceful means. The United States, North Korea and China recently held talks in Beijing, but it is unclear if there will be additional talks. The Bush administration wants Japan and South Korea included in any substantive talks with North Korea. In addition to the nuclear issue, Roh and Bush also discussed bilateral economic relations, as well as relocating some U.S. bases located in South Korea. According to their statement, Bush pledged to consult Roh on any changes in the U.S. military presence, and the two leaders agreed "to continue expanding the role of the [South Korean] armed forces in defending the Korean peninsula." A senior Bush administration official said changes in the U.S. military deployment in South Korea may proceed before the nuclear standoff with North Korea is settled, despite concerns by South Korea that such a move could send the wrong message. "We are not going to freeze in place until the nuclear issue is resolved. The South Koreans know that, and they agree," the official said. During Roh's visit, Bush gave the South Korean leader a 10-minute tour of the White House. Roh, a fan of Abraham Lincoln who has written books on the Civil War president, was shown the Lincoln Bedroom and copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address. -- CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King and Producer Christy Brennan contributed to this report.
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