President Roh Embarks on US Visit
2003-05-12
President Roh Moo-hyun Sunday (May 11) embarked on his first visit to the United States on a mission to resolve critical issues including North Korean nuclear row tand the readjustment of the Seoul-Washington alliance.
Roh and First Lady Kwon Yang-sook will travel to New York, Washington and San Francisco before returning to Seoul Saturday (May 17).
Roh will hold summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday, after which the two leaders will release a joint statement.
The summit comes in the wake of North Korea's recent confirmation that it already possesses nuclear weapons, while satellite photos suggest the Stalinist state may also be reprocessing spent fuel, a process that precedes the manufacture of nuclear bombs.
Also high on the agenda is the ongoing talks to redefine the roles in the 50-year-old South Korea-U.S. military alliance.
Discussions are underway concerning calls for South Korea to assume more responsibility in national defense, but the two sides have not yet agreed how much of the responsibility should be transferred or when.
Roh and Bush are expected to reaffirm through the summit talks that North Korea's nuclear development cannot be tolerated but that the problem must be resolved peacefully through dialogue.
While seeking joint measures in countering North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship, Bush is expected to reiterate his support for Seoul's policy of peace and co-prosperity toward Pyongyang.
"I will cooperate closely with President Bush on the development of South Korea-U.S. relations, the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem, and the promotion of bilateral economic cooperation," Roh said in a statement before his departure.
"If the involved parties and the international community cooperate, the nuclear issue can be resolved peacefully. I will do my best to make my visit to the United States a stepping stone to reaching such a solution," he said.
Roh has meetings scheduled with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Treasury Secretary John Snow. He will also meet a number of congressional leaders.
He will visit the New York Stock Exchange and Silicon Valley as part of his economic diplomacy.
Source : www.korea.net
