Bush: “Agreement from Five Countries Necessary for Presenting North Korea Nuke Issues to U.N. Security Council”

Once again, U.S. President George W. Bush called North Korean leader Kim Jong Il a “tyrant” and a “dangerous person.”

President Bush openly showed his “dislike” for leader Kim at the news conference held on April 28, two days ahead of the 100-day anniversary of his inauguration.

President Bush even went further by saying that leader Kim is starving North Korean people, North Korea has a large-scale political prison camp, and warned, “The more intimidating and arrogant Kim becomes, the further the North will be isolated.”

President Bush’s statement sounded quite different from earlier this year in his inaugural speech and State of the Union address in which he tried to avoid provocative expressions.

In particular, President Bush’s utterance draws all the more attention, considering the North’s demand for Condoleezza Rice to withdraw her mentioning of an “outpost of tyranny,” with which it made a primary condition to return to six-party talks.

President Bush also rebuffed the possibility of bilateral talks between North Korea and the U.S., which North Korea has requested.

Bush stated that North Korea broke its last promise (1994 Geneva Agreement), and that many countries need to have leverage against North Korea.

However, President Bush said that he would not immediately remit the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program to the United Nations Security Council.

Bush noted that to present the case before the U.N. Security Council, it is necessary to have an agreement from the countries participating in the six-party talks, which have veto rights, and that the U.S. believes that this is the best way to resolve the issue within the frame of six-party talks.

However, President Bush said that all the measures available are on the negotiating table.

In particular, there were many speculations as to why President Bush’s commented at the press conference that although the U.S. deployed its military forces in the war in Iraq and deliberately cut the number of U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea, the U.S. still is free from restrictions in dealing with North Korea and other issues.

Although Bush stepped back by saying that he didn’t mention the possibility of military power, his statements could be interpreted as his sending of a strong message to North Korea.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com