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SCMP Reporter

Officials believe summit with Bush has given them more time to persuade Pyongyang to negotiate over its weapons programme

Officials have been busy putting a gloss on ties with America following last week's presidential summit, despite serious strains between Washington and Seoul over how to handle North Korea's nuclear weapons policy.

The media said the summit had earned Seoul more time to  convince North Korea to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme

'It's not much time, but when you consider the recent atmosphere and the talk of possible sanctions, we got some breathing room,' the Joongang Ilbo quoted a South Korean official as saying.

Talks involving the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia have  stalled since last June with  Pyongyang refusing to return to the table.

Following the 45-minute meeting between  President Roh Moo-hyun and US President George W. Bush, in Washington on Friday,  Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki-moon  described the summit as 'very successful' and said it would further enhance the trust between the two leaders.

He said the summit 'has wiped out concerns presented by some regarding the alliance, and set the direction in which the South Korea-US alliance will move'.

However, his words were undermined by the short, low-key meeting. Serious  tensions remain between the US and South Korea.

The US is trying to force  North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons or face international isolation. But this tactic is being undermined by Seoul's policy of engagement with Pyongyang.

Following his discussions with Mr Bush, Mr Roh acknowledged that divisions existed, but maintained 'there indeed is no difference between our two sides on the basic principles'.

The South Korean president kept up the united front on his return to Seoul when he again called on Pyongyang to make a 'strategic decision' to accept a security guarantee and economic assistance in return for abandoning its nuclear weapons ambitions

'North Korea should lay the groundwork for regime stabilisation and economic development,' he said. 'We will actively support such an effort by North Korea in co-operation with the international community and we are preparing a comprehensive, concrete and aggressive measure for that,' the president said during a seminar to mark the fifth anniversary of a historic summit between the leaders of the two Koreas.

Hundreds of government officials and representatives of civic organisations from South Korea are scheduled to fly to Pyongyang today  for a festival marking the anniversary of the meeting in 2000 between then South Korean president Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Kim Dae-jung called on Pyongyang and Washington to demonstrate greater flexibility. 'North Korea must reaffirm its willingness to completely give up its nuclear weapons programme and receive thorough inspections. Accordingly, to such a North Korean position, the United States should promise to guarantee the security of North Korea and lift its sanctions on the North Korean economy,' he said. The US State Department said last week that North Korea had  said it would rejoin the stalled six-way talks, but had not fixed a date.

The optimism this announcement generated was undermined later in the week when North Korea's vice-foreign minister, Kim Gye-gwan, told ABC News that his country had 'enough nuclear bombs to defend against a US attack and is building more'.



Seoul optimistic despite strained US ties