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Mending fences

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South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun will leave for the United States tomorrow for a summit meeting with his American counterpart, George W. Bush, in an attempt to thrash out a joint position on North Korea, as well as repair their alliance, which has been strained in recent months.

This is Mr Roh's first trip abroad since his inauguration on February 25 and his first visit to the US. He is likely to avoid the fate of his predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, who, when touting his 'sunshine policy' towards North Korea, was rebuffed by Mr Bush, who voiced deep scepticism about the North's commitment to its agreements.

Mr Roh, too, is a supporter of the sunshine policy of engagement with North Korea, although he has dropped the use of the term itself. Initially, he strained the alliance with the US by assuming a position of neutrality in the dispute between America and the North, even offering to mediate between them.

However, in recent weeks, he has mended relations with the US, in particular by supporting the war against Iraq. Mr Roh is also likely to enjoy a better rapport than his predecessor with Mr Bush: Both men are 56, while Mr Kim is more than 20 years older. Two years ago, the Bush administration was not interested in dialogue with North Korea. Now, it has started talks in a trilateral format, which includes China. Besides, the US is emphasising the importance of other countries in the region taking part in the dialogue, in particular South Korea and Japan.

Aides of both presidents appear intent on avoiding the kind of embarrassment that occurred during Mr Kim's visit. While talking to reporters, differences between Mr Bush and Mr Kim became obvious. This time, no joint press conference is planned, only a joint statement. That is likely to emphasise their common opposition to North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and their desire for a peaceful resolution to the issue. It is also likely to stress the importance for the US and South Korea of establishing a more mature alliance, with South Korea bearing more responsibility for its own defence.

While the meeting will, no doubt, help the two sides better understand each other, a formal response to the proposal made by North Korea during the talks in Beijing last month is unlikely to emerge during the visit. This is because the US hopes to act in concert with Japan and South Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is due in Washington next week. Shortly after that visit, officials from the three countries will hold a meeting to formulate a joint position.

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