South Korean leader presses Bush on Korean War

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- In a rare public exchange highlighting the delicacy of political diplomacy, President Bush told South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun a formal end to the Korean War begins when North Korea halts its secretive nuclear weapons program.

Both leaders met in Sydney ahead of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, spending much of their meeting discussing the international diplomatic stagnation over the communist North's nuclear arms program.

"We spent a lot of time talking about the six-party talks and the progress that is being made in the six-party talks," Bush said. They agreed there had been progress, with Roh characterizing it as "positive" and "meaningful."

Then, in a rare back-and-forth exchange before the cameras, Roh pressed Bush to be "clearer" on his stance to officially ending the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with a truce, and not a peace treaty, meaning on paper they are still at war.

"I think I might be wrong. I think I did not hear President Bush mention a declaration to end the Korean War just now. Did you say so, President Bush?

"If you could be a little bit clearer," he continued.

Bush's tone was positive, but his message was firm. "I can't make it any more clear, Mr. President. We look forward to the day when we can end the Korean War. That will happen when Kim Jong Il verifiably gets rid of his weapons programs and his weapons." Watch the subtleties of the exchange between Bush and Roh »

Under a deal reached in February after years of negotiations, North Korea agreed to end its nuclear programs, including one that has made bomb material.

United Nations inspectors confirmed in July that North Korea has closed all of its nuclear facilities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex but the White House remains suspicious of Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Shortly after the news conference ended, Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, played down the exchange.

"I really think the interpreter must not have conveyed the president's comments entirely clearly. [President Bush] made clear in his opening remarks that he told Roh that the U.S. is committed to a peace agreement once North Korea complies."

Deputy National Security Adviser Jim Jeffrey suggested that the incident was caused by "perhaps a translation error." He underscored there "was no tension" and that Bush had been "very clear" in his meeting with Roh.

"The Korean side wanted to hear a specific reiteration of what went on in the meeting," Jeffrey said. "As soon as that was clear to President Bush, he reiterated what he had said in the meeting. And that's what you heard. And no more, no less."

But reporters asked whether the unusual exchange spawned from a translation issue or whether Roh had been unsatisfied with possible differences between what Bush said in the earlier meeting and what he said in front of the cameras.

Stepping in, White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino said there was no tension in the meeting and that "everyone is trying to make a little bit too much of it."

"I can tell you they had a very warm meeting," Perino said. "The president made a clear statement of his support for ending the Korean War once and for all, and both leaders agreed on that."

Meanwhile on Friday, the chief U.S. negotiator to the six-party nuclear talks said North Korea had invited a delegation of nuclear experts from China, the United States and Russia to the communist country next week to survey nuclear facilities slated to be shut down.

Speaking in Sydney ahead of the annual APEC summit, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters the delegations will be in North Korea from Tuesday through September 15 to conduct a survey of nuclear facilities slated to be disabled as part of the six-party process.

The six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear aspirations include North Korea, South Korea, Japan, as well as the nuclear powers of China, Russia and the United States.

"The experts will also engage in discussions on the scope and the technical feasibility of specific actions to be taken to disable DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] nuclear facilities," Hill said.

The upcoming trip follows "the shutting down and sealing off" in June of key facilities of the Yongbyon nuclear facility, and it will "mark another significant step toward the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," Hill said. E-mail to a friend

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