Kim, Bush Ask North for Talks

SHANGHAI － South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and U.S. President George W. Bush jointly pressed North Korean leader Kim Jong-il Friday to resume dialogue with Seoul and Washington.

President Kim and Mr. Bush discussed joint measures against terrorism and the two countries' North Korea policies as they met on the sideline of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. This is the second time the two leaders have met. Mr. Kim traveled to Washington in March.

"My administration wishes to begin a dialogue with the government of Kim Jong-il," Mr. Bush said during a press conference before the talks. "Yet he has refused to accept our invitation. I would hope that he would not only accept our invitation, but seize the opportunity to bring more peaceful relations to the Korean Peninsula." Mr. Bush also emphasized his support for South Korea's sunshine policy toward Pyeongyang.

President Kim in turn pledged to cooperate and provide all support to the United States in accordance with the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries.

Mr. Kim then held separate talks with China's President Jiang Zemin and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, discussing Kim Jong-il's visits to those countries and Mr. Jiang's Pyeongyang visit.

President Kim asked Mr. Jiang to participate in the opening ceremony of next year's soccer World Cup, the Chinese soccer team having qualified to play in the games.

State-run Chinese media showed interest in President Kim, and the People's Daily detailed in its headline story remarks Mr. Kim made before he left Seoul Thursday. China's CCTV and Hong Kong's CNBC interviewed Mr. Kim.

Mr. Putin pledged to make all efforts to resolve the dispute over Korean saury fishing in the waters off the Kuril Islands. He also discussed with Mr. Kim the linking of the Trans-Siberian Railway with the Inter-Korean railway and the construction of an industrial complex in Na-khodka, in far-eastern Russia.

President Kim is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Saturday.

Mr. Koizumi is considering revisiting Seoul and Beijing. "The Japanese government has begun to review his visit agenda and is taking into consideration public opinion in South Korea and China and his schedule at the Diet," a political source in Japan said Friday. The second visit to Korea would allegedly be an official three-day visit.

The revisits are said to have been suggested by Mr. Koizumi based on his judgment that relations with China and Korea must be improved to counter the perception that it is neglecting Asia.

by Kim Jin-kook