[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 10 (Monday, March 12, 2001)]
[Pages 410-413]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea 
and an Exchange With Reporters

March 7, 2001

    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 the 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.

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    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 [Ron Fournier, Associated Press].

North Korea

    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 dialog 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 dialog as to the progress that is 
being made on the Peninsula, and our foreign policy will respond in a 
way that will reinforce 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 
[Jim Angle, Fox News].

U.S. Presidential Transition/Korean Peninsula

    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 dialog with North Korea. On my part, I have assured him 
that as we try to advance the dialog 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?

North Korea/National Missile Defense

    Q. I believe I do, sir. There are some other agreements that the 
U.S., Japan, and South

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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.

North Korean-U.S. Negotiations

    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?

South Korean Sunshine Policy

    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 
dialog, 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.

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    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 12:03 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to General Secretary Kim Chong-il of 
North Korea. A reporter referred to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. 
A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.