- WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
President
Bush has warned North Korea not to take advantage of the U.S. engagement
in Afghanistan by threatening South Korea and said he was
"disappointed"
in North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
-
- In an interview with Asian journalists on Tuesday, a
transcript of which was released by the White House on Wednesday, Bush
said: ``North Korea should not in any way, shape or form think that because
we happen to be engaged in Afghanistan we will not be prepared and ready
to fulfill our end of the agreement with the South Korean
government.
-
- "They should not use this as an opportunity to
threaten
our close friend and ally, South Korea."
-
- Bush said he was disappointed Kim had failed to visit
South Korea to meet South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, or agree to
meetings
between North Korean and U.S. representatives.
-
- "I've been disappointed in Kim Jong-il not rising
to the occasion, being so suspicious, so secretive,'" he said.
-
- Bush's sharply worded comments were delivered on the
eve of his trip to a summit of Asian-Pacific nations in Shanghai, China
where he is to meet South Korea's Kim.
-
- U.S.-North Korean contacts were put on hold when Bush
took office in January and called for a review of his predecessor's
policies
that had led to a flurry of exchanges between Cold War foes North and South
Korea in late 2000.
-
- Washington said in June that it was willing to resume
talks on a range of issues, including Pyongyang's nuclear program, missile
program, and the concentration of troops and weapons on its border with
South Korea.
-
- But North Korea said there would be no talks as long
as the United States continued to raise the issue of North Korea's weapons
capability. It has also postponed a reunion of separated family members
and North Korea's Kim has failed to repay an earlier visit by the South
Korean leader.
-
- In the interview, Bush rejected suggestions that his
administration was responsible for stalling an apparent thaw in relations
between North and South Korea and said the ball was now in the North Korean
leader's court.
-
- "He won't meet with you (South Koreans), he won't
meet with us, which kind of leads me to believe that perhaps he doesn't
want to meet. So he can blame it on who he wants, but it's up to him to
make that decision," Bush said.
-
- "What is it about this man who refuses to -- not
only to talk with us, but to fulfill an agreement he made with your
government
(for a return visit)?" he added.
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- Bush urged North Korea to send a message of peaceful
intentions by withdrawing its conventional forces from areas bordering
the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.
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- "I think that he (North Korea's Kim) needs to earn
the trust of the world. I think he needs to take pressure off of South
Korea and off of DMZ. I think he needs to say -- send a signal, clearest
message, that he's for peace, not for war," he said.
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