By Kim Yon-se
Korea Times Correspondent
SYDNEY _ U.S. President George W. Bush has expressed his willingness to sign a peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula with South President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
In his summit with Roh here, Friday, Bush urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to scrap his nuclear weapons program in a prelude to a peace treaty to terminate the fragile armistice signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Bush made the remarks during his talks with Roh on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
``We look forward to the day when we end the Korean War. That will happen when Kim Jong-il verifiably dismantles his weapons program,'' Bush said.
The U.S. President said he is ``optimistic'' but there is still more work to do, adding: ``Nevertheless, if we work together, we have showed that we can bring peace on the Korean peninsula as many people have hoped for.''
Roh told reporters that he and Bush shared the view that should there be more progress in the six-party talks, which would be followed by talks to initiate a regional security mechanism in the Northeast Asian region.
``Bush has reaffirmed the replacement of the armistice on the peninsula with a permanent peace regime,'' Roh said.
The Korean War ended with an armistice between the U.S.-led U.N. command and the alliance of North Korea and China. The accord has never been converted into a peace treaty, technically leaving the peninsula in a state of war.
Earlier in the day, Roh met Chinese President Hu Jintao and discussed ways of strengthening Seoul-Beijing cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula and North East Asia.
In particular, the two leaders hinted at the possibility of holding the four-way talks _ between South and North Korea, China and the United States _ as early as October.
``The two leaders have reached a consensus to activate discussions for a peace treaty between South Korea and North Korea when there is progress in inter-Korean relations and the six-party talks on denuclearization,'' Baek said.
Regarding the timing for the launch of talks on a Korean Peninsula peace treaty, Roh's aide said such a discussion will come only after the inter-Korean summit and a meeting of the foreign ministers involved in the six-party talks.
Baek said Hu expressed his wish for the success of the summit between the two Koreas, but did not make any comment on an alleged move to hold a summit with the North Korean leader in Beijing.
Following the talks, Roh and Hu observed the signing of a bilateral investment treaty by their Cabinet ministers.
Following his meetings with Hu and Bush, a summit between Roh and Australian Prime Minister John Howard on bilateral economic cooperation was also held.
Later in the day, Roh also held talks with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet and signed a pact to expand economic ties.