Bush, Roh meet to discuss N. Korea’s weapons

GYEONHJU, South Korea – Nearly two months after North Korea agreed in principle to end its nuclear weapons program, President Bush met with South Korea’s president today to discuss how to turn that pledge into reality.

Bush’s meeting with Roh Moo Hyun on the eve of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum being held in nearby Pusan came as differences have emerged between the U.S. and South Korea over how best to approach North Korea in the ongoing six-nation disarmament talks that also include China, Russia and Japan.

Experts say while the U.S. and Japan have maintained a harder line, South Korea has moved closer to China and Russia in advocating a more conciliatory approach.

Bush administration officials have grown frustrated that little progress has been made since the September agreement, and they are concerned that the North might be seeking to exploit differences between the other five parties.

At a three-day follow-up round of talks last week in Beijing, North Korea continued to insist that the parties agree on so-called “step-by-step measures” in which Pyongyang would be compensated at each juncture, including for any move to freeze and dismantle its weapons program and allow inspections. The United States has contended that the focus should be on a complete, verifiable dismantling of North Korea’s weapons program.

Another point of contention is North Korea’s demand to be allowed to operate a light-water reactor in the future to generate electricity. Last week’s negotiations concluded without a breakthrough.

The up-and-down nature of the negotiations for more than two years has been a sensitive point for the Bush administration, which has taken heat from Democrats in Washington, who say the U.S. approach has allowed North Korea only to build more weapons.

Appearing in Pusan on Wednesday in advance of Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice questioned whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was prepared to negotiate a detailed settlement in good faith.

“The jury is out on whether the North Koreans are prepared to do what they need to do,” she told reporters traveling with her to the meeting of Pacific Rim leaders.

She said Pyongyang needed to “get serious” about its September commitment to dismantle its plutonium reprocessing facilities, as well as any uranium enrichment facilities, and subject them to international inspection.

Despite such comments by Rice, Bush and his aides have sent signals that they are ready to take a slightly softer approach on North Korea.