South Korean President Kim Dae-jung on Wednesday urged the United States to complete its review of policy toward North Korea and resume talks with the Stalinist state.
Kim made the pitch during a meeting with visiting Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who arrived in Seoul on Wednesday with Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly, said a presidential spokesman.
Kim told Armitage that completion of the review and resumption of talks on missile proliferation and other issues would result in "dramatic improvements" in relations between the two Koreas and peace and stability in the region, the spokesman said.
One South Korean civic group also raised concerns over the review and proposed missile defense system.
The Korean Peace Forum, a private group that promotes cooperation and reconciliation between the two Koreas, sent letters to several U.S. officials — including President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell — asking that Washington’s review of policy toward the North be wrapped up quickly, a group spokesman said Monday.
"That prolonged review is the major stumbling block now in relations between Pyongyang and both Seoul and Washington," the spokesman said. He said the letters, sent May 3, were signed by South Korean leaders of more than 100 religious, political, news media, academic and nongovernmental organizations.
The Peace Forum letter to Bush also demanded he drop his proposal for a national missile defense system, the spokesman said.
"While it’s clear Mr. Bush views the system as a way to protect the United States and its allies, it may have an adverse effect on the prospect for peace on the [Korean] Peninsula," he said.
Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have come to a standstill since Bush told Kim in March that he is skeptical about leaders of the North Korean regime and has no intention to resume talks with the North until the policy review is finished. Since then, the North has canceled a number of meetings with South Korean officials and has not resumed work to restore the rail link and build a highway between the two countries.
South Korean officials say the rail and highway projects, planned to be completed by November, will not be finished this year if the North does not resume work this month. The North Korean army so far has refused to sign and exchange documents agreed to earlier this year with the South that will guarantee security and safety at the work site.
Pyongyang also has revived demands for an immediate pullout of the 37,000 U.S. troops in the South, something it had not mentioned since the Inter-Korean Summit last June.
Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il told visiting European Union officials that he would stick to his pledge not to launch any missiles at least until next year. But he refused to suspend missile sales to other countries, something Washington has demanded. Pyongyang views those sales as its only cash cow.
Armitage and Kelly are one of four teams Bush has dispatched throughout the world to try to drum up support for his missile defense shield. The two officials were to discuss that on Thursday with officials of the Defense and Foreign Ministries.
They also were to meet with Unification Ministry officials on Thursday. That ministry handles North Korean issues for the Seoul government.
Bae Gi-chul contributed to this report.