By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
U.S. President George W. Bush sounded a cautious note Wednesday on the prospects of North Korea being removed from the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism, warning that there is still much that Pyongyang needs to do first.
``I don't know whether or not they're going to give up their weapons. I really don't know," Bush said during a joint press conference with President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae, following summit talks.
Bush and Lee also answered questions regarding the pending bilateral trade agreement, the Dokdo sovereignty issue, Korea's role in Afghanistan and human rights problems in North Korea. Here is a summary of the two leaders' comments and answers to reporters' questions:
North Korean Denuclearization
President Bush said that next Tuesday, Aug. 12, is the ``first opportunity" where North Korea may be lifted from the U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism. But Bush offered a sobering assessment. `` They've got to show us a verification regime that we can trust," he said. ``I don't know whether or not they're going to give up their weapons. I really don't know. I don't think either of us knows."
``The North Korean leader is going to have to make certain decisions," Bush noted. ``You can verifiably do what you say you are going to do or you'll continue to be the most sanctioned regime in the world."
``The North Korea leader has yet to fully verify the extent to which he has had a highly enriched uranium program. There's still more steps to be done on the plutonium program," he said. ``The best way to approach and answer those concerns is for there to be strong verification measures."
When asked by a reporter from USA Today, a U.S.-based newspaper, whether he feels North Korea has fundamentally changed and whether it is still part of the ``Axis of Evil," Bush said ``that's to be determined. In order to get off the list, the axis of evil list, the North Korean leader is going to have to make certain decisions."
Bush said Pyongyang needs to continue ahead with the process of verifying its nuclear program and also improve its human rights record.
``My hope is that the axis of evil list no longer exists. That's my hope for the sake of peace. That's my hope for the sake of our children,"
In his 2000 State of the Union address, Bush named North Korea, along with Iran and Iraq, as making up an ``axis of evil'' that foster terrorism and threaten world peace.
Bush added that the ongoing six-party talks represent the best mechanism in trying to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.
President Lee said that there might be some doubts as to whether six-party talks would be successful and whether North Korea will follow through with the next nuclear verification step. But Lee said, ``I give high marks to President Bush, his leadership and his patient approach for taking six-party discussions this far."
``There is a clear vision that no matter how North Korea responds during the verification step, that in the end, the Korean Peninsula must be nuclear-free. I therefore urge Pyongyang to fully, completely cooperate during the nuclear program verification process."
Dokdo Sovereignty Issue
Bush did not offer direct comments. But Lee said that ``I did express my gratitude to President Bush for helping to quickly change Dokdo's designation at the U.S. geographical board, from `undesignated sovereignty' back to what it was originally: South Korean territory."
Lee said Dokdo is not ``a Korea-U.S. issue, but a Korea-Japan issue."
``I think that if Korea takes steps to show the world all the materials concerning Korean sovereignty over Dokdo, proof that historically and legally the islets belong to Korea, I think we should be able to convince other countries, going forward," he said.
Bush also offered a comment on the recent killing of a South Korean tourist at North Korea's Mt. Geumgang resort: ``I strongly support your government's request to investigate last month's shooting of a South Korean tourist."
Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement
Lee said: ``President Bush and I made promises to each other that we would do our best to try to adopt the free trade agreement before Bush's term expires, before the end of the year.
``I will work with the Korean National Assembly to get the agreement ratified. And President Bush told me that he would do his best to get it ratified in U.S. Congress," Lee said.
``I believe that both Korea and the United States would benefit from this free trade agreement. It will be an opportunity for Korea to advance its economy to the next level and boost its economic competitiveness," Lee said.
``Korea could further grow its economy and create more domestic jobs by boosting business ties with the United States. The agreement could also enhance the Korea-U.S. alliance."
Afghanistan
When asked whether President Bush had asked Korea for any assistance, President Lee deferred the question to Bush.
``We discussed it," President Bush answered. But he noted that the assistance he was asking about was of a non-combat nature. ``I thanked President Lee for the contributions that Korea has made to Afghanistan. What I talked to him about was non-combat help. I asked him to consider as much non-combat help as possible to help young democratic countries," Bush said.
North Korea's Nuclear Program
Bush offered a comment while visiting the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul,.
Speaking to U.S. troops at an Army garrison, Bush said the United States, with cooperation from South Korea, will push for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
Bush said that North Korea ``traps its people in misery and isolation" while South Korea and its openness allowed the South to ``take its rightful place on the world stage."
Bush said there is no question that U.S. military forces would remain on the peninsula in the future.
michaelha@koreatimes.co.kr
