Roh said the the next round of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program should be held as soon as possible to find a breakthrough. The negotiations adjourned last Friday with delegates reporting little progress. ''We have no disagreements at all that this issue must be resolved," Roh said.
''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 through a translator.
Bush agreed. ''It's in the world's interest that this happen," Bush 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."
Roh said the two leaders talked at length about the North Korean nuclear issue and exchanged views about North Korea's attitude and tactics.
''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 two leaders endorsed a joint declaration expressing satisfaction with ''the steady development" of the US-South Korean alliance.
Bush said the United States 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 programs."
Roh played down disputes with the United States and said the current state of 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."
South Korea has resisted the tough approach advocated by the Bush administration for ending the impasse with North Korea, opposing the idea of military action if diplomacy fails. South Korea also is cool to the idea of taking the standoff to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
Bush flew here for the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, representing 21 countries that account for about half the world's trade. APEC is expected to call for progress at the next round of World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong next month toward a global trade agreement.
