South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Saturday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi that his country would not fully join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a US-led effort launched in 2003 through which roughly 70 nations coordinate the interception of vessels suspected of carrying weapons materials.
Roh met with US President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the 21-member APEC gathering, but the bilateral session produced no shift in Seoul's stance. Roh acknowledged supporting the initiative's aims while stopping short of full participation, saying South Korea does not wish to provoke Pyongyang as it prepares to return to six-party nuclear talks expected in Beijing next month.
Bush downplayed the disagreement, expressing appreciation for whatever cooperation Seoul was providing. The United States and Japan have backed the inspection effort strongly, while China and South Korea have resisted applying it despite a UN Security Council resolution endorsing ship searches following North Korea's nuclear test on 9 October.
Bush also held talks Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with North Korea again the central subject. Earlier in Singapore, Bush had urged allies to hold firm, warning that North Korea represents the most immediate nuclear proliferation threat facing the world.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.