For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 7, 2001
Remarks by President Bush and President Kim Dae-Jung of South Korea
The Oval Office
12:03 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Everybody in? It's been my honor to welcome
President Kim here to the Oval Office. We had a very good
discussion. We confirmed the close relationship between our
two countries. We talked about a lot of
subjects. And we'll be glad to answer questions on some of
those subjects, but first let me say how much I appreciate this man's
leadership in terms of reaching out to the North Koreans.
He is
leading, he is a leader. He is -- and we've had a very frank
discussion about his vision for peace on the Peninsula. It's
a goal we share. After all, we've got vested interests
there. And we had a very good discussion. I made
it clear to the President we look forward to working toward peace on
the Peninsula, that we'll consult closely, that we'll stay in touch;
that I do have some skepticism about the leader of North Korea, but
that's not going to preclude us from trying to achieve the common
objectives.
So, Mr.
President, welcome. Thank you for being here.
PRESIDENT
KIM: First of all, I would like to express my deepest
gratitude to President Bush for inviting me to visit Washington and
have this meeting with him, despite his very busy schedule, I'm sure,
in these early weeks after inauguration.
I'm
delighted to have had this opportunity to start building friendship and
close cooperative working relationship with President Bush on a variety
of issues. I thank the President for sharing his insight and
wisdom with me concerning the situation in Northeast Asia and the
world, in general. And while discussing things with him I
could feel that I was sitting next to a leader who would take the world
to greater peace and prosperity in the 21st century.
President
Bush and I covered the whole variety of issues in ROK-U.S.
relations. It has been a most useful exchange of
views. We have agreed to work together towards the further
strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and our close policy
coordination in dealing with North Korea towards to goal of ending the
Cold War and strengthening peace and stability on the Korean
Peninsula.
And taking
this opportunity, I would like to invite you, Mr. President, to come
and visit us in Seoul as early as you can, so that we will have another
opportunity to further strengthen the close cooperative working
relationship between our two allies.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Thank you, sir.
I'm going
to take a couple of questions from the American press. I would hope
that the South Korean press would be willing -- we'll alternate.
Fournier.
Q Mr.
President, the Secretary of State just told us that you made it clear
you would not be fooled by the North Korean regime. Can you
expand on that? And are you afraid that the South Koreans,
in their haste, their energy to make peace, might be not forcing North
Korea to make certain concessions that need to be made?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: First, we had a very frank discussion about North
Korea. There's no question in my mind that the President of
the Republic of Korea is a realist. He knows exactly with
whom we're dealing. He's under no illusions. I also told
the President that we look forward to, at some point in the future,
having a dialogue with the North Koreans, but that any negotiation
would require complete verification of the terms of a potential
agreement.
And so I
look forward to strengthening our relationship, first and
foremost. And we will have a constant dialogue as to the
progress that is being made on the Peninsula, and our foreign policy
will respond in a way that will reenforce the efforts of the President,
but at the same time -- and at the same time, make it clear to all
parties concerned that any agreement must make the Peninsula more
peaceful and we must be able to verify that it is more peaceful.
I am
concerned about the fact that the North Koreans are shipping weapons
around the world. And any agreement that would convince them
not to do so would be beneficial, but we want to make sure that their
ability to develop and spread weapons of mass destruction was, in fact,
stopped -- they're willing to stop it -- and that we can verify that,
in fact, they had stopped it.
But, Ron,
there's no question that this President takes a realistic view of the
man with whom we're dealing.
Q Mr.
President, do you believe that North Korea is living up to its other
agreements with the United States, Japan, South Korea?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: South Korean press? I'll get you in a
minute, Jim.
Q A
question to President Kim of South Korea. Mr. President, you
say that you've had sufficient, fruitful exchange of views with
President Bush. This is a transitional period in which you
have to deal with a new administration, a change from the Clinton
administration now to the Bush administration. You say that
you do not expect any major changes in the work that you do
together. But President Bush has greatly emphasized the
pragmatic and realistic approaches in dealing with North
Korea. In that regard, do you detect any change, and what do
you think is the greatest outcome of this summit meeting today?
PRESIDENT
KIM: The greatest outcome today has to be that through a
frank and honest exchange of views on the situation on the Korean
Peninsula, we have increased the mutual understanding.
On North
Korea, yes, there are many problems that remain. But
President Bush has clearly expressed his strong support for our efforts
to further the dialogue with North Korea. On my part, I have
assured him that as we try to advance the dialogue with North Korea, we
will consult with the United States every step of the way, so that the
progress in South-North Korean relations serves the interest of our two
countries, and that it serves to strengthen peace on the Korean
Peninsula.
President
Bush was very frank and honest in sharing with me his perceptions about
the nature of North Korea and the North Korean leader, and this is very
important for me to take back home and to consider.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Jim.
Q Yes,
sir. Sorry to go out of order, sir.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Do you remember the question?
Q I
believe I do, sir. There are some other agreements that the
U.S., Japan and South Korea are party to with North
Korea. Do you believe that they are living up to the
agreements they have made?
And if I
could, sir, a question for President Kim, as well. You had
said last week with Mr. Putin that the 1972 ABM Treaty was the
foundation of stability in the world. Do you still believe
that, and were you quoted accurately, sir?
PRESIDENT
KIM: On the controversy surrounding that inclusion of that
reference to the ABM in the South Korea-Russia joint statement
recently, our foreign ministry negotiated that statement with the
Russians, and that phrase -- in coming up with that phrase we've taken
into consideration the documents that came out of the G-8 Okinawa
Summit and various other international consultations that the United
States was part of.
This in no
way reflects our position on the NMD issues. This is not an
indication of our opposition to the NMD. The Russian side,
in fact, initially very strongly wished to include such a phrase that
would indicate an opposition and we resisted to the very end.
And so when
we saw this controversy unexpectedly arising after the joint statement
came out, I regretted the misunderstanding. And so I ordered
my foreign ministry to come out with an immediate clarification of our
position.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Part of the problem in dealing with North Korea,
there's not very much transparency. We're not certain as to
whether or not they're keeping all terms of all
agreements. And that's part of the issue that the President
and I discussed, is when you make an agreement with a country that is
secretive, how do you -- how are you aware as to whether or not they're
keeping the terms of the agreement.
The
President was very forthright in describing his vision, and I was
forthright in describing my support for his vision, as well as my
skepticism about whether or not we can verify an agreement in a country
that doesn't enjoy the freedoms that our two countries understand --
don't have the free press like we have here in America.
Q President
Kim, do you believe that it would strengthen South Korea's security for
the United States to immediately resume the negotiations that President
Clinton's administration had taken with North Korea regarding its
missile program? And if so, did you make that case to
President Bush today?
PRESIDENT
KIM: First of all, we sincerely hope that the North Korean
missile issue will be resolved with transparency. But, of
course, the United States is the counterpart dealing with North Korea
in the negotiations over the missile issue. We have not made
any suggestion whether the negotiations should be resumed now, or
whatever. This is an issue for the United States to make.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Let's make sure we get the members of the South Korean
press -- get to ask some questions, too. I'm not saying
you're being overly aggressive or anything. Any further
questions? Did you get to ask all the questions?
Q Mr.
President, one more. Was there any discussion concerning the
agreed framework, the Geneva agreed framework, at the summit today?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Anybody else?
Q Mr.
President, what is your general view about President Kim's Sunshine
policy? Do you think that that contributes to peace and
stability on the Korean Peninsula?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Yes, I do. I do. I think that
the idea of trade, flows of capital, will lead to a more peaceful
Peninsula. I think open dialogue, I think reunification of
families will lead to a more peaceful Peninsula. Hopefully,
the efforts that the President makes will convince the North Koreans
that we are peaceful people and that they need not be fearful about the
intentions of America and of the Republic of Korea, that we want the
peace. But we must be wise and strong and consistent about
making sure that peace happens.
But I
believe the President is on a policy that has got peace as its goal and
peace as its intentions; and with the right alliance and the right
formulation of policy, hopefully, it will achieve the peace that we all
want.
Thank you
all for coming.
END 12:27
P.M. EST
|