Bush Meets Defectors in Oval Office

U.S. President George W. Bush(right) talks with Jay Lefkowitz (left), the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, at the White House Oval Office on April 28. Victor Cha, director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council, stood between them. President Bush said, “This is the most touching moment since I have taken office,” after meeting with a little girl, Kim Han-mi, a North Korean defector, her family, and the Japanese family of Yokota Megumi who was abducted by North Korea. This photo was released by American Ambassador to Korea on May 4.

Observers are analyzing the reason why the photo was released late, saying, “The U.S. government is revealing its discomfort at the Korean government’s criticism of Lefkowitz.”