By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
President Roh Moo-hyun said that he believes in the willingness of North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
``I have believed for a long time that North Korea was willing to give up nuclear weapons and there is no change in my belief,'' he said in an interview with CNN Saturday.
``North Korea thinks it is more beneficial not to have nuclear weapons than to have them, and that if the circumstances were right, they would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons.''
Roh proposed a general approach to the resolution of the nuclear issue instead of focusing on small issues in detail.
He said people who have been trying to solve the problem see the big picture and ask ``Is North Korea willing to give up the nuclear weapons program? And is it willing to settle the issue this time?''
``But people who are not happy about resolving this problem divide the issue up and question every step,'' he said. ``The foundation is the shared belief.''
He also expressed strong opposition to the use of force or extreme sanctions on North Korea for the nuclear issue, which the United States may have considered.
``In the beginning of my administration, President George W. Bush and I had differences of opinion, and one of them was the North Korean nuclear issue,'' he continued. ``I understand President Bush and some of his aides have been considering stronger measures against North Korea.''
But Seoul had to make it clear that it is against some options such as any use of armed force or extreme sanctions, which may lead to war, Roh added.
Roh, who met North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in early October, said that there were negative misperceptions about Kim.
He said Kim is not a reclusive man but rather a man who speaks with candor and in a direct manner without hesitation, making interlocutors feel at home.
Meanwhile, Roh, who will finish his five-year presidency in a few months, left open the possibility that he may continue politics after he steps down.
``In Korea, to step down from the presidency is to step down from politics,'' he said. ``But I thought about what it means to step down. I hope that means a free man.''