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U.S., South Korea Committed to Nuke-Free Korean Peninsula

Thursday, May 15, 2003
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

Following the meeting, a White House official provided details on the talks. The official said the presidents agreed that U.S. forces should soon move out of the Yongsan garrison, the large U.S. military base in downtown Seoul. They also discussed the need to consolidate bases north of the Han River rather than having them scattered across the country as they have been since the end of the Korean War.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun met at the White House May 14 and reaffirmed they will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.

White House officials said the two leaders expressed serious concern over North Korea's statements about reprocessing nuclear material and possessing nuclear weapons, as well as its threat to demonstrate or transfer these weapons. Bush and Roh stressed that North Korea's moves to escalate will lead only to its greater isolation and a more desperate situation in the North.

Both leaders, officials said, reaffirmed their strong commitment to work for the complete, verifiable and irreversible elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program through peaceful means based on international cooperation.

In their first face-to-face meeting since Roh was elected in December 2002, Bush said he assured the South Korean leader that the United States will continue to work to achieve a peaceful solution.
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2003 © U.S. Department of Defense.

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