US President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun declared yesterday that a nuclear-armed North Korea "will not be tolerated" and agreed that the international standoff with the nation over its weapons ambitions should be resolved through peaceful diplomacy.
Bush and Roh met in Gyeongju, an ancient capital of Korea, ahead of a summit of the APEC forum whose 21 members include the leaders of the five countries negotiating with North Korea for its nuclear disarmament. North Korea isn't attending the summit.
Roh said the second phase of the fifth round of disarmament talks should be held as soon as possible to reach a breakthrough.
"We have no disagreements at all that this issue must be resolved," Roh said, calling his fifth meeting with Bush "constructive."
"We reiterated that a nuclear-armed North Korea will not be tolerated and reaffirmed that the issue should be resolved through peaceful and diplomatic means," Roh said.
Bush agreed.
"It's in the world's interest that this happen," he said. "It's also in our interest that we continue to work together to solve the problem. I see a peninsula one day that is united and at peace."
Separately, China's President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) said his country -- the North's main benefactor and a key player in the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear programs -- also remained committed to the process. The two Koreas, the US, Russia and Japan are the other parties to the talks.
"We firmly support whatever is conducive to safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula," Hu said in a speech in the capital Seoul to South Korea's National Assembly. "As proven by facts, the peaceful resolution to the peninsula's nuclear issue through dialogue is the most realistic and reasonable method."
Bush said Washington would not comply with North Korea's demand that it be provided with a light-water nuclear reactor before it disarms, a stumbling block in the talks.
"We'll consider the light-water reactor at the appropriate time," Bush said. "The appropriate time is after they have verifiably given up their nuclear weapons and/or program."
Roh said the two leaders talked at length about the North Korean nuclear issue.
"We are basically looking to resolve this North Korean nuclear issue, and we are exploring more ways that we can resolve this issue," Roh said.
The leaders endorsed a declaration expressing satisfaction with "the steady development" of the US-South Korean alliance.
Roh played down disputes with the US and said relations with the North represented "perhaps the most stable situation between the two Koreas that you have ever seen. And the Korea-US dialogue is going on very smoothly."
RSS