Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

QUESTION: The summit meeting between North and South Korea is still going on now in Pyongyang, and yesterday Chairman Kim Chong-il showed up at the opportunity to meet President Kim Dae Jung. Any comment is ready for that?

MR. REEKER: We warmly welcome this historic meeting between the leaders of South and North Korea. The personal reception of President Kim to Pyongyang by Kim Chong-il is a hopeful sign. While the outcome of course can not be predicted with certainty, to echo the words of President Kim on his departure from Seoul, we are hopeful that this summit will represent the beginning of a process which will lead to a fundamental reduction of tension in the Korean Peninsula.

A direct and continuing dialogue between the South and the North is central to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. As we've said many times before, we strongly hope this historic meeting can be the first of many. President Kim's vision of engagement, I think, has been instrumental in preparing the ground for this summit meeting; and his support of a US-North Korea dialogue, a Japan-North Korea dialogue, and dialogue between Pyongyang and other nations, in fact, opened the door for this important step which we're witnessing now.

QUESTION: What would you like to see come out of this? Are we going to see unification, one country perhaps?

MR. REEKER: I think we want to watch this summit go forward.

QUESTION: The process --

MR. REEKER: It's a very important step. It's truly a historic step. The pictures we've all seen yesterday and today definitely qualify as historic. I think we're going to reserve any comment. We'd like to see a continued dialogue and, as I indicated, this is an important step in a process of dialogue, which is the best way to move forward and maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula.

QUESTION: Were you be at all surprised at the, you know, enthusiasm of the welcome that President Kim received?

MR. REEKER: Well, it was a very warm welcome, and we welcome that welcome.

(Laughter.)

MR. REEKER: I think all of us have been very --

QUESTION: Was the US expecting anything like this?

MR. REEKER: I don't think it was up for us to make expectations. As we've said, we can't predict outcomes. We welcome the announcement of this summit and certainly are watching closely along with the rest of the world as this goes forward.

QUESTION: Was Wendy Sherman smiling.

MR. REEKER: You would have to check with her office on that. She was smiling when I saw her this morning.

Anything more on Korea?

QUESTION: It is premature to talk about the post-summit meeting. But there is already some reports that a hot line is agreed to be connected between the two presidents. And Kim Dae Jung was received personally at the airport by Kim Chong-il.

MR. REEKER: We discussed that.

QUESTION: Yeah. Is it - I mean, whenever there is an event, there is certainly expectation: better than expected, worse than expected. What is your response to this kind of --

MR. REEKER: I'll just refer you to what I already said, that we very much welcome the historic meeting and that the personal reception at the airport was, in fact, a very hopeful sign. We can't predict outcomes. That summit meeting is still ongoing through tomorrow, but we're very hopeful that the summit will represent a beginning of a process which will lead to a fundamental reduction of tension on the Korean Peninsula.

QUESTION: Reviewing more about North Korea and South Korea summit meeting, sir, were you surprised that on the television last night show up suddenly Chong-il Kim in airport and they go in together one car -- (inaudible) -- from Chong-il Kim accepted President Kim?

MR. REEKER: I don't think I'm going to have a lot more to tell you. The summit meeting is ongoing. I've told you very much our reaction to it.

QUESTION: Would you -- (inaudible) - changed North Korea than before? Do you have idea of that?

MR. REEKER: I'm sorry?

QUESTION: Any changed big North Korea?

MR. REEKER: I don't understand your question. I'm sorry.

QUESTION: Extended change.

QUESTION: Any changeover in North Korea than before?

MR. REEKER: I think what I've said will stand, that we watch this summit very closely; it's a historic occasion and we find it a very hopeful occasion that there will be a beginning - that this is the beginning of a process that will lead to a fundamental reduction of tension in the Korean Peninsula and that this historic meeting can be the first of many.

One more on Korea.

QUESTION: In my understanding, the US Government is deeply concerned over the North Korea nuclear and missile programs. To what extent do you expect it could be discussed on the table?

MR. REEKER: I have nothing to add to that. This is a summit meeting between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea, and we need to let that summit continue, as it will for the next two days. And those would be questions you'd want to ask those two leaders.

QUESTION: Is South Korea concerned about North Korea's nuclear program?

MR. REEKER: That's a question you'd want to ask the South Koreans.

QUESTION: I mean, we don't know that? We don't know if the concern is only US or is it supposed to be Japan?

MR. REEKER: I don't have anything new to add for you.

QUESTION: That's a threshold question.

MR. REEKER: I have nothing new to add for you on concerns about that. I don't think there's anything new to discuss there. What I'm saying on the summit is I'm not going to have anything more to talk about on the details on South and North Korea relations until that process finishes.

QUESTION: I'm just trying to determine if the US has asked South Korea, which is said to be similarly concerned by the program, to see if you could make some headway on that in the summit.

MR. REEKER: I think we continue to talk regularly with our South Korean allies. Right now, we're letting the summit, the historic summit between the North and South, go forward. It's a step we very much welcome and we're very hopeful about it.

Thanks.

(The briefing was concluded at 2:30 P.M.)

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