U.S. Review of Korea Policy Won't Derail Engagement with North, Bush Senior Says

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS － Former President George Bush hinted that the U.S. administration would continue engaging North Korea after it completes reviewing its policy toward the Communist state.

In a dinner speech at a forum at Texas A&M University, Mr. Bush said Tuesday that his son, George W. Bush, who took office in January, is fully aware of the importance of its alliance with South Korea and that he will "go forward" and support South Korea.

Stressing that North Korea is currently America's most important foreign policy priority, Mr. Bush said there is no need for high concern over the policy review.

Former U.S. presidents traditionally do not comment on policy, lest they hamper their successors, and Mr. Bush has been circumspect in the past.

Although Mr. Bush did not say directly that the new administration would go ahead with engaging North Korea, a senior official who took part in the seminar interpreted his remarks that way. The former president also told South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Yang Sung-chul, that concerns that the new administration will not adopt Bill Clinton's policy would be resolved with time.

Mr. Bush, who served as 41st U.S. president between 1989 and 1993, noted that his administration also had reviewed policy toward Russia when it took over office from Ronald Reagan. Such reviews are customary, he said.

The U.S. administration, which has not yet completed its review of North Korea policy, angered Pyongyang last month when the new President Bush expressed "some doubt" about North Korea's reliability in his first talks with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. The Bush administration said it would not rush into talks with North Korea.

Since then, there have been a flurry of reports that South Korea and its biggest ally, the United States, are at odds due to American policy toward North Korea.

Mr.Bush appeared to be conscious of such possible discord, starting his Texas speech by affirming that both he and his son had great respect for Mr. Kim.

by Kim Jin