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Q
Mr. President, North Korea has refused to engage in the six-party talks for nearly a year. What's the incentive to get them back to the table?
PRESIDENT BUSH: First and foremost, the incentive is for Kim Jong-il to understand there is a better way to improve the lives of his people than being isolated; that stability in the region is in his interests, the ultimate interests for the people of North Korea to be able to benefit and for families to be able to have food on the table.
His refusal to come back to the six-party talks has really strengthened an alliance of five nations that are determined to solve this issue peacefully, but recognize a threat posed by a country in the region armed with a nuclear weapon. If he were to verifiably get rid of his weapons programs, there is clearly a better way forward. And that is the message we've been sending to the North Korean government through the six-party talks.
Final question. Do you want to call on somebody?
Q (Asked in Korean.)
PRESIDENT ROH: (As translated.) As for your question, that there is a concern in Korea that the United States will take further sanctions against North Korea and whether this will jeopardize the chance of a successful six-party process, my answer is that we are working very hard on restarting the six-party talks. That is what the President and I have discussed this morning, and this is not the appropriate time to think about the possibility of a failure of the six-party process. So this is my answer.
And my government has taken certain measures, and although -- because we do not want to hurt the inter-Korean relations, we do not label this -- these measures as sanctions, we are, in fact, taking measures tantamount to sanctions after the North Korean missile launches. This is -- we have suspended rice and fertilizer aid to North Korea, and this is, in fact, similar to sanctions in its effect.
And we are, in fact -- this measure of suspension of aid to North Korea, I believe, is in line with the implementation of the U.N. security resolution on North Korea. And as for other sanctions you have mentioned by the United States, these are being done in line with the U.S. law enforcement. And so we would be -- we would not delve into this at this time.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir. Thank you.
END 12:12 P.M. EDT
President Bush Welcomes President Roh of Republic of Korea to the White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/print/20060914-5.html
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