[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[July 11, 1993]
[Page 1061]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1061]]


Exchange With Reporters at the Demilitarized Zone
July 11, 1993

North Korea

    Q. How many more years do you think this line will hold?
    The President. I don't know. I hope it won't be long. But in the 
meanwhile, I'm glad these people are here. All these young men are doing 
something very important. And when you see, as I said, when you see the 
way North Korea's been behaving, their presence here is even more 
important. The American people should be very proud of them. They are 
making a major contribution to the defense of freedom and also to the 
spread of freedom. And in the end our side of that bridge will prevail.
    Q. Do you think they know you're here?
    The President. I imagine they do. They were certainly looking. And 
someday they'll be able to----
    Q. Menacingly?
    The President. Well, I hope someday they'll just be able to walk on 
over here in peace.
    Q. Knowing what you know now, do you think they're more likely or 
less likely, the North Koreans, to comply with the treaty?
    The President. Well, I don't know. They've been rather calm in 
response to my trip here. And that is somewhat encouraging. But it 
doesn't make any sense. When you examine the nature of the American 
security commitment to Korea, to Japan, to this region, it is pointless 
for them to try to develop nuclear weapons because if they ever use them 
it would be the end of their country. All they have to do is read our 
security agreements.
    So I hope that this trip will serve to get things back on track. And 
I hope they will comply. The President of South Korea, President Kim, 
has laid out a long-term gradual way of reunification that is clearly in 
the interest of the people on both sides of this great divide. But we 
can't even resume that until they make it clear that they're going to 
stay in the Non-Proliferation Treaty regime, they're going to allow the 
inspectors back in, they're not going to try to become a nuclear power. 
That's the major issue for this day. And until that happens, we just 
need to redouble our resolve and make it clear where we are.
    Q. Well, weren't they moving toward rapprochement, and all of a 
sudden something happened, they were really----
    The President. They seemed to be. And, as I said, President Kim 
reached out to them. And it's clear that the people of South Korea would 
like reunification to be possible, if you can preserve democracy and 
freedom.
    So we'll just have to see. The wisdom of what our country has done 
for 40 years is basically demonstrated by this abrupt change in North 
Korean policy. We know what works. If we just stay strong and we stay 
resolute and we stay firm, we know that will work. And eventually, we 
have to hope that they will take the sensible course and that we can 
then resume the thaw that was in place before this last unfortunate 
development.
    Thank you.

Note: The exchange began at 2:55 p.m. at the Bridge of No Return.