Bush Demands “Inspection over North Korea`s Mass-Destructive Weapons“

The U.S. President George W. Bush demanded on Nov. 26 that Iraq and North Korea allow international inspectors into their countries for the inspection over weapons of mass destruction and cease to develop and spread them.

President Bush said at a press conference held in the White House, "Saddam Hussein of Iraq should allow the U.N. weapon inspection team to resume its inspection activities to confirm that Iraq is now developing weapons of mass destruction."

President Bush added, "We hope that North Korea will allow the inspectors into the country." saying, "I have already made it clear that the United States should know whether North Korea is developing weapons of mass destruction in order to improve the relations with North Korea, that North Korea should cease to spread mass-destructive weapons."

He warned, "Any countries that develop weapons of mass destruction used in terror attacks against other countries will be saddled with the responsibility."

"President Bush mentioned the same thing regarding North Korea`s weapons of mass destruction when the Korean President Kim Dae-Jung visited Washington in March." said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. "The statement of this time reconfirms the U.S.` established policy about North Korea and Iraq, and all of the U.S. presidents have spoken about the two countries resolutely."

Meanwhile, according to a Korean Foreign Ministry official, the U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly said on the same day at the U.S.-ROK`s North Korea Policy Consultation held in San Francisco before the U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting that such a demand "does not indicate a change of existing North Korea policy." and "The New York Times` report that North Korea could be the next target is just a guess."

Assistant Secretary Kelly said, "The statement made by President Bush does not signify a change in the U.S.` North Korea policy but is a reconfirmation of the existing one." explaining, "It should be understood in connection with what President Bush said at the press conference after the U.S.-ROK summit talks in March, namely, that the development and the spread of weapons of mass destruction should be ceased."

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com