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PARIS -- President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday during a state visit to France that, "Because the U.S. and some Western nations are thinking the North Korean regime must eventually collapse, Pyongyang feels a greater sense of insecurity and crisis."
In the discussion with ethnic Koreans in Paris, President Roh added that, "Problems don't get solved if you make value judgments about the North Korean regime. This is key."
"As long as the regime itself is questioned due to the North Korean nuclear issue, those countries that do not want it to collapse, like China and South Korea, and those countries and individuals that think regime change is necessary will not be able to coordinate," he said.
President Roh has recently repeated his position that hardline forces within the United States were provoking North Korea, but this was the first time Roh has specifically attributed blame. Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Jong-min added further clarification by saying that, "He meant some voices within those countries, not the governments."
President Roh continued that, "The government will do its best in moving forward to reflect the thoughts and circumstances of the Korean people ... If I have to get red in the face [angry] at someone, then I must do so, because it is an issue of our survival."
"No matter how much we try, if North Korea ultimately fails to listen and proceeds to develop nuclear weapons, nobody can guarantee anything ... I believe North Korea will not do this, however, and moreover, I expect North Korea will ultimately make a political decision," he said.
President Roh held a summit with French President Jacques Chirac in which the Korean leader asked his French counterpart to cooperate in promoting soft change in North Korea. Roh will return home Dec. 7.
(Shin Jeong-nok, jrshin.chosun.com)
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