[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 23 (Monday, June 13, 2005)]
[Pages 973-974]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea 
and an Exchange With Reporters

June 10, 2005

    President Bush. It's my honor to welcome the President of our very 
close ally to the Oval Office. I'll have a statement; the President will 
have a statement. Then I'll answer two questions from the American 
press.
    I first want to express my country's deepest condolences for the 
accident that took place, where a U.S. military vehicle killed a Korean 
woman. And we send our deepest sympathies to the woman's families. And, 
Mr. President, I just want you to know our heart--our hearts are sad as 
a result of this incident.
    The President and I had a very long discussion about very important 
issues. And we'll continue this discussion over lunch. And the reason 
why we've had a serious discussion on important issues is because we're 
strategic partners and allies and friends.
    I appreciate the President's good advice, and we share the same 
goals, peace on the Korean Peninsula and peace throughout the world. We 
share the same goals: We want our peoples to grow up in a peaceful 
society that's a prosperous society.
    And so, Mr. President, welcome. Thank you for coming, and thank you 
for your friendship.
    President Roh. I thank you for your warm welcome, and I also thank 
you for the opportunity for us to engage in extensive discussions on 
various issues. I also thank you, Mr. President, for your warm message 
of condolence regarding the unfortunate incident involving U.S. forces 
Korea.
    This is my fourth meeting with you, Mr. President, and my second 
visit to the United States. And every time we meet together, Mr. 
President, questions abound regarding the possible existence of 
differences between Korea and the United States surrounding the North 
Korea nuclear issue. But every time I meet you, Mr. President, in 
person, I come to the realization that there indeed is no difference 
between our two sides with regard to the basic principles. In fact, 
we're in full and perfect agreement on the basic principles. And 
whatever problem arises in the course of our negotiations and talks, we 
will be able to work them out under close consultations.
    There are, admittedly, many people who worry about potential discord 
or cacophony between the two powers of the alliance. But after going 
through our discussion today, Mr. President, I realize once again that 
with regard to all the matters and all the issues of great importance, 
we were able to deal with them and we were able to bring closure to them 
smoothly. And I am very certain that our alliance remains solid and will 
continue to remain solid and staunch in the future as well.
    To be sure, there are one or two minor issues, but I'm also quite 
certain that we will be able to work them out very smoothly through 
dialog in the period ahead. How do you feel, Mr. President? Wouldn't you 
agree that the alliance is strong and everything is working----
    President Bush. I would say the alliance is very strong, Mr. 
President. And I want to thank you for your frank assessment of the 
situation on the Peninsula. And I'm looking forward to having lunch with 
you. I'm hungry, like you are. [Laughter]
    So I'm going to answer two questions, first from Tom [Tom Raum, 
Associated Press].

Situation in North Korea

    Q. Mr. President, just two days ago, the Vice Foreign Minister of 
North Korea said they do have a nuclear arsenal and they're building 
more. Doesn't statements like that make it--suggest that North Korea 
will not come back to the bargaining table? And doesn't it make it 
harder to bridge the kinds of differences that do remain between the 
U.S. and South Korea?

[[Page 974]]

    President Bush. No, I--South Korea and the United States share the 
same goal, and that is a Korean Peninsula without a nuclear weapon. And 
that's what we've been discussing, how best to do that. And the 
President and I both agree the six-party talks are essential to saying 
to Mr. Kim Chong-il that he ought to give up his weapons. We're making 
it very clear to him that the way to join the community of nations is to 
listen to China and South Korea and Japan and Russia and the United 
States--and that is to give up nuclear weapons. And we'll continue to 
work, to have one voice.
    We laid out a way forward last June that is a reasonable proposal, 
and we're still awaiting the answer to that proposal. But today's 
meeting should make it clear that South Korea and the United States are 
of one voice on this very important issue.
    Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
    Q. Sir, are there any inducements you're willing to offer to get 
North Korea back to the talks? And if I could ask about Syria as well.
    President Bush. Steve, first of all, the first part of your two-part 
question is this: Last June we did lay out a way forward. And it's just 
not the United States; this was a plan that the United States and South 
Korea and China and Japan and Russia put on the table. And the plan is 
still there, and it's full of inducements.
    The second part, on Syria----

Syria

    Q. Is it your feeling that Syria still has intelligence operatives 
in Lebanon, and are they carrying out targeted political killings?
    President Bush. Well, I've been disturbed by reports I read in 
today's newspaper that said that Syrian intelligence officers might 
still be in Lebanon and might still be there. And our message--and it's 
not just the message of the United States; the United Nations has said 
the same thing--is that in order for Lebanon to be free, is for Syria to 
not only remove her military but to remove intelligence officers as 
well. And obviously, we're going to follow up on these troubling 
reports, and we expect the Syrian Government to follow up on these 
troubling reports.
    Listen, thank you all very much.

Note: The President spoke at 12:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman Kim Chong-il of North 
Korea. A reporter referred to Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-gwan of 
North Korea. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.