Calling Kim 'This Man' Earns Bush a Censure

Vice Speaker Hong Sa-duk of the National Assembly on Friday took issue with U.S. President George W. Bush's reference to President Kim Dae-jung as "this man."

The opposition representative said that he will forward a letter to Mr. Bush, in protest of what he calls a "blunt" gesture.

Saying that he has confirmed with close American acquaintances that the use of such a term in diplomatic relations verges on casual, Mr. Hong wrote that "without an appropriate apology, the incident may infringe on the integrity of the Korean peoples."

In the two presidents' joint news conference in Washington Wednesday, Mr. Bush praised Mr. Kim's reconciliation policy by saying, "Let me say how much I appreciate this man's leadership in terms of reaching out to the North Koreans."