Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
South Korean President Roh Meets With Bush About North Korean Nuclear Crisis
Aired May 14, 2003 - 20:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
2024
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush met with South Korea's leader for the first time today. President Roh Moo Hyun sat down at the White House about two hours ago. The main topic North Korea and its nuclear program.
White House correspondent Dana Bash has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The South Korean president came to Washington for the first face-to-face meeting with President Bush with one publicly stated goal, a promise to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully. President Roh got what he wanted.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I assured the president we will continue to work to achieve a peaceful solution. We're making good progress toward achieving that peaceful resolution of the issue of the Korean Peninsula in regards to North Korea.
BASH: As the leaders headed to the white house residence for a working dinner, they issued a more detailed strongly worded written statement saying they, quote, "Will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea." and that, quote, "Escalatory moves by North Korea will only lead to its greatest isolation and a more desperate situation in the North."
And despite South Korean concerns that any threat of military action against Pyongyang threatens Seoul's security and economy, the leaders said, quote, "Increased threats to peace and stability on the peninsula would require consideration of further steps." Regardless of the show of unity, there are still differences. South Korea favors promises of aid and security to North Korea in exchange for a nuclear freeze. The White House says that would be succumbing to nuclear blackmail. The leaders simply agreed South Korea as well as Japan and China should continue to use dialogue to encourage Pyongyang to stop its nuclear program. Mr. Bush did promise to consult with Seoul before moving or repositioning nearly 40,000 troops on the Korean DMZ, a move South Korea fears their northern neighbors would misinterpret.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BASH: Now, South Korea would like to wait to move or remove any troops until the nuclear standoff with North Korea is finished. That is a topic that is likely to come up next week, when President Bush hosts the Japanese Prime Minister, Koizumi at his ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Anderson.
COOPER: Dana, obviously North Korea on the White House's minds but also the attack in Saudi Arabia. Are we hearing anything new from the White House tonight?
BASH: We are. We had heard earlier today that President Bush's ambassador to Saudi Arabia had asked the Saudis to step up security in that region. And tonight we are told that a senior Bush aide, Stephen Hadley. He is the deputy national security adviser, actually went over to Saudi Arabia last week and spent just one day there. But he went to share some intelligence information with the Saudis and to ask them to step up security to make a visible secure presence there. He was told that he would -- that the Saudis would take it under advisement, and that's what we learned tonight, that he actually went over there.
COOPER: All right. Dana Bash, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
2024
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush met with South Korea's leader for the first time today. President Roh Moo Hyun sat down at the White House about two hours ago. The main topic North Korea and its nuclear program.
White House correspondent Dana Bash has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The South Korean president came to Washington for the first face-to-face meeting with President Bush with one publicly stated goal, a promise to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully.>
Aired May 14, 2003 - 20:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
2024
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush met with South Korea's leader for the first time today. President Roh Moo Hyun sat down at the White House about two hours ago. The main topic North Korea and its nuclear program.
White House correspondent Dana Bash has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The South Korean president came to Washington for the first face-to-face meeting with President Bush with one publicly stated goal, a promise to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully. President Roh got what he wanted.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I assured the president we will continue to work to achieve a peaceful solution. We're making good progress toward achieving that peaceful resolution of the issue of the Korean Peninsula in regards to North Korea.
BASH: As the leaders headed to the white house residence for a working dinner, they issued a more detailed strongly worded written statement saying they, quote, "Will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea." and that, quote, "Escalatory moves by North Korea will only lead to its greatest isolation and a more desperate situation in the North."
And despite South Korean concerns that any threat of military action against Pyongyang threatens Seoul's security and economy, the leaders said, quote, "Increased threats to peace and stability on the peninsula would require consideration of further steps." Regardless of the show of unity, there are still differences. South Korea favors promises of aid and security to North Korea in exchange for a nuclear freeze. The White House says that would be succumbing to nuclear blackmail. The leaders simply agreed South Korea as well as Japan and China should continue to use dialogue to encourage Pyongyang to stop its nuclear program. Mr. Bush did promise to consult with Seoul before moving or repositioning nearly 40,000 troops on the Korean DMZ, a move South Korea fears their northern neighbors would misinterpret.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BASH: Now, South Korea would like to wait to move or remove any troops until the nuclear standoff with North Korea is finished. That is a topic that is likely to come up next week, when President Bush hosts the Japanese Prime Minister, Koizumi at his ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Anderson.
COOPER: Dana, obviously North Korea on the White House's minds but also the attack in Saudi Arabia. Are we hearing anything new from the White House tonight?
BASH: We are. We had heard earlier today that President Bush's ambassador to Saudi Arabia had asked the Saudis to step up security in that region. And tonight we are told that a senior Bush aide, Stephen Hadley. He is the deputy national security adviser, actually went over to Saudi Arabia last week and spent just one day there. But he went to share some intelligence information with the Saudis and to ask them to step up security to make a visible secure presence there. He was told that he would -- that the Saudis would take it under advisement, and that's what we learned tonight, that he actually went over there.
COOPER: All right. Dana Bash, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
2024
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, President Bush met with South Korea's leader for the first time today. President Roh Moo Hyun sat down at the White House about two hours ago. The main topic North Korea and its nuclear program.
White House correspondent Dana Bash has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The South Korean president came to Washington for the first face-to-face meeting with President Bush with one publicly stated goal, a promise to solve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully.>
