Washington — President Bush took a hard line against North Korea on Wednesday, ruling out an immediate resumption of Clinton-era negotiations between the United States and the communist government in Pyongyang and urging South Korea's president to be skeptical of his neighbor.
Bush praised President Kim Dae-jung, a Nobel Peace Prize winner for reaching out to North Korea's leaders, but said any deal in which North Korea agrees to limit its missiles must include verifiable terms that would prevent cheating.
"I do have some skepticism about the leader of North Korea," Bush said of Kim Jong Il.
The most sensitive foreign policy session of Bush's presidency produced discussions that Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell termed candid and frank signals that Bush and Kim Dae-jung took differing approaches toward the same goal of a peaceful Korean peninsula.
Kim has moved close to what he calls a declaration of peace with North Korea, which worries Bush administration officials who say they don't want him moving too quickly without demanding strong concessions from North Korea.
Powell told reporters Bush would not be fooled by the North Koreans.
Bush himself said he would push for agreements that don't jeopardize America's national security interests.
"The president was very forthright in describing his vision, and I was forthright in describing my support for his vision, as well as my skepticism about whether or not we can verify an agreement in a country that doesn't enjoy the freedoms that our two countries understand," Bush said.
The United States came close under President Clinton last year to striking an agreement to curb North Korean missile development and missile exports in exchange for aid to the wretchedly poor North Korea.
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