Free Republic

<p>President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun vowed yesterday that they "will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea" and threatened the use of "further steps" to deal with the Stalinist regime's nuclear ambitions.</p> <p>Standing shoulder to shoulder in the White House Rose Garden, the two leaders pledged to work toward a peaceful solution to the standoff with Pyongyang, which continues its bellicose rhetoric against its neighbor and the United States.</p>

Ambassador to Paris to Protest Roh-Bashing Column PARIS - The Korean Embassy in France, miffed by an editorial in the local paper Le Figaro that criticized President Roh Moo-hyun, said Thursday that it would write a letter of protest to the writer. The column, titled "A Chess Game Called North Korea" and written by a member of the newspaper's editorial staff, Alexander Adler, described Roh as a “self-learned lawyer, U.S. hater and coward.” “He is the Asian version of Oscar La Fontaine (former president of an Austrian political party), who was ready to betray the Western countries that showed benevolence...

Roh Wants Lessons Free of Anti-Americanism by Shin Jung-rok (jrshin@chosun.com) President Roh Moo-hyun has received reports that the left-wing teachers union has been presenting anti-U.S. material while teaching students about anti-war ideas, he told a cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Song Kyoung-hee later said that Roh had told the Education Ministry to look into the actions by Jeongyojo, or the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers Union. According to Song, Roh said that anti-war ideas could be viewed as international matters; but he pointed out that anti-Americanism deals with relations between nations, so materials that may contain such...

Roh Thanks USFK for Presence President-elect Roh Moo-hyun said he had been mislead as a leftist in a speech at a seminar hosted by the Heritage Foundation Thursday. Roh elaborated about his political direction to clear misunderstanding, emphasizing that all Koreans appreciate and want the United States Forces Korea's presence in the country. While Roh had mentioned a similar statement before, his focus was mainly on "self-reliance in relations with the US." However, Roh used exceptional phrases like "thanks to the US, who bled to protect the country in the Korean War," and "the Korea-US alliance contributed to economic revival...

The top U.S. envoy in Seoul confirmed yesterday Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's recent statement stressing the need for the realignment of 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. "As both our forces have modernized, the possibilities for a new division of roles have grown," Amb. Thomas Hubbard said in a forum of the Alumni Association of the Advanced Management Program at Seoul National University. He also added that the two countries will review how many U.S. troops are required in South Korea in line with a new international security order that demands more reliance on troop mobility. The envoy's remarks...

Roh MH Says, He Asks N.K. Leader Kim JI to Visit Seoul    Seoul, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that he had asked North Korea's National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il to visit Seoul in his personal letter recently sent to him.    "I also expressed hope to meet him in any other place if it is difficult for Chairman Kim to visit Seoul because of political reasons," Roh said in an interview with Japan's NHK-TV in the morning.

NORTH Korea wants to end its self-imposed isolation, reform its antiquated structures and engage in diplomacy with the international community, South Korea's incoming President Roh Moo-hyun said yesterday. Mr Roh played down rising fears about North Korea's nuclear intentions, saying Pyongyang knew it did not have the military capacity to take on the international forces marshalled against it. And he recommitted South Korea to its half-century old military alliance with the United States, despite weeks of angry anti-US street protests in Seoul. Addressing foreign business leaders in the capital, Mr Roh dismissed threats from Pyongyang about a potential military conflict...

January 13, 2003 Socialist Controversy The statement made to the New York Times by Kim Sok-jung, an analyst and managing director at the Federation of Korean Industries, that the Presidential Transition Committee was heading towards socialism has stimulated considerable controversy. Kim clarified his views adding that he had said the committee was focusing too much on "a social safety net." However, his denial failed to calm down the controversy, as both business and President-elect Roh Moo-hyun eye each other suspiciously. This is an extremely worrisome situation for the economy, on top of the North Korea nuclear issue and anti-American sentiment....

Voting Starts in 16th Presidential Election by Choi Joon-seo (jschoi@chosun.com) The 16th presidential election will be take place on Thursday December 19 at 13,471 polling places nationwide from 6:00am until 6:00pm. Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang held a press conference on the eve of the Election Day and said if the people look at the totally failed statecraft and unjustifiable corruption of the last 5 years, they should make a clear judgment on a Millennium Democratic Party administration that has already failed. Lee added that Thursday would be the day of choice between stability and instability, saying the...