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U.S. President George W. Bush told his South Korean counterpart he is willing to sign a document declaring the end of the Korean War with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear program. A diplomatic source in Seoul on Wednesday said Bush made the offer during a meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun in Hanoi, Vietnam on Nov. 18. "President Bush made remarks while talking about building a permanent peace framework on the peninsula,¡± the source said. "As far as I know, he made remarks to effect that he is willing to sign an agreement with the two Koreas.¡± That means Bush could meet with Kim, the source added.
White House spokesman Tony Snow after the summit said if Pyongyang dismantles its nuclear program, "we are willing to do a whole series of things...including a declaration of the end of the Korean War,¡± but did not reveal Bush¡¯s offer. According to the source, Bush also said he is willing to offer new economic incentives to the North, though it was not clear what. The offers mark a significant shift in Bush¡¯s tack on North Korea, a country he included in the ¡°axis of evil¡± and whose leader he described as a ¡°tyrant.¡±
Presidential security advisor Song Min-soon in a briefing after the summit said the two leaders discussed ¡°measures that can be taken such as economic aid, regime security guarantees and a peace framework if North Korea dismantles its nuclear program.¡± Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Yoon Tae-young on Wednesday declined to confirm Bush¡¯s offer. "We can¡¯t confirm what was discussed during a summit, especially what the president of the other side said,¡± Yoon stated.
But experts say there are many obstacles to overcome before peace can be declared to replace the armistice, which officially still halts hostilities in the Korean War 50 years later. For Bush and Kim to sign a declaration, the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear problems must make significant progress once they resume. If they do, Washington and Pyongyang are to normalize relations, and the declaration could be one step ahead of the final leg in that process. The U.S. says the two Koreas should be the signatories to any declaration of the end of the war or a peace treaty, and if they sign first, the U.S. and China will offer guarantees. This is supported by Seoul, too. But Pyongyang insists the U.S. is the only other party to such agreements since Seoul had no part in agreeing the armistice. Some pundits say such procedural matters will pale once matters progress to the point where Washington and Pyongyang are ready to declare the war over.
Experts point out the offer marks a sea change in Bush¡¯s position on North Korea. Bush has variously called Kim a ¡°pygmy¡±, a ¡°tyrant¡± and a ¡°spoiled child¡± in remarks suggesting he does not regard the North Korean leader as a negotiating partner. "What Bush said means that the U.S. will accept Pyongyang¡¯s demand to give up its ¡®hostile¡¯ policy toward the North," Prof. Ko Yu-hwan of Dongguk University said. "The remarks can be understood as the best President Bush can do in words.¡±
Experts have conflicting views on how the North will respond. Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea specialist at Korea University, said, "What the North wants right now is for Washington to lift financial sanctions including unfreezing Pyongyang's accounts in Banco Delta Asia, and light-water reactors, which are concrete measures. It won't be interested in the big picture." But a researcher with a state-run institute said the North will find Bush¡¯s offer ¡°difficult to ignore because it symbolizes a retreat from the U.S.'s long-held hostile position¡± toward the Stalinist state.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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