[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 43 (Monday, October 27, 2003)]
[Page 1438]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea 
in Bangkok

October 20, 2003

    President Bush. Thank you all for coming. It's my honor to have 
breakfast with a friend of the United States and a friend of mine, 
President Roh. We've got a very important and close relationship with 
South Korea. We share common goals. We want the world to be more free 
and peaceful. And that's why I'm so grateful for South Korea's support 
in places like Iraq.
    We also share a goal to enhance the prosperity of our respective 
peoples. We will discuss ways to make sure our trade between our 
countries is free and fair. We have a common goal to make sure that the 
Korean Peninsula is nuclear-weapons-free. We're making good progress on 
peacefully solving the issue with North Korea. And during this 
breakfast, I will share ideas and listen to ideas from President Roh as 
to how to move the process forward.
    These are important consultations with a close friend, and I want to 
thank the President for coming to have breakfast.
    President Roh. It is my pleasure to meet with President Bush--
[inaudible]--and it is to my greater pleasure to meet with him--
[inaudible]. Korea and the United States have been promoting the 
friendship between each other based on mutual trust, and we have been 
addressing the problem in this period of cooperation and friendship.
    The United States is currently making various efforts to promote 
global peace, and it has succeeded in winning the U.N. resolution 
regarding Iraq. And I would like to congratulate this meaningful 
progress.
    I appreciate that the United States has been making efforts to make 
progress in the areas related to North Korea, and this issue is very 
critical for--[inaudible]--and the further progress of Korea. And in 
this regard, the six-party talks--[inaudible]--progress. And I would 
like to thank United States for helping us to achieve this important 
milestone. And I am thankful for Mr. Bush for making more efforts to 
continue to resume the six-party talks in the near future.
    During today's breakfast with President Bush, I hope to have a 
meaningful dialog on how to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue and 
how to realign the--[inaudible]--alliance.
    At the same time, I would like to commend the United States' effort 
in bringing peace and democracy in Iraq, and I would like to discuss 
with him how to reconstruct the economy there, and I would like to 
discuss with him how Korea can cooperate in this regard. And I would 
have a meaningful discussion on these points.
    And in this meeting, I hope to have a serious discussion in 
accordance with the goals of the APEC in the areas of how to promote 
trade and mutual investment and how to promote regional security. And I 
am sure that we will--[inaudible].
    Thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 8:30 a.m. at the Grand Hyatt Erawan 
Bangkok. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.