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South Korea's President Lee in Washington to Meet With Obama

by Rob Walker | June 16, 2009 at 06:03 am

141 views | 26 Recommendations | 4 comments

US President Barack Obama is meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak in Washington on Tuesday, to discuss North Korea's nuclear threat. Lee met with Secretary of State HIllary Clinton on Monday to prepare for the talks.

Before leaving South Korea, Lee told reporters that the threat of actual nuclear conflict is remote, but fears that the northern dictatorship may sell their nuclear technology to terrorists or rogue states.

"I don't think you'll see any daylight between President Lee and President Obama in terms of North Korea," said Victor Cha, who was a White House adviser on North Korean issues to former President George W. Bush.
The South Korean leader has followed a tough line on North Korea, even before Pyongyang raised tensions in recent weeks by test-firing missiles, restarting a plant to produce arms-grade plutonium and holding a May 25 nuclear test.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington Tuesday, with the North Korean nuclear threat expected to dominate the talks.

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Paschen

at 06:30 on June 16th, 2009

I am not sure what may come out of any of this, but at least as long as every one or almost every one is talking, there still is hope for some resolution and peaceful end to this saga.

albertacowpoke

at 08:19 on June 16th, 2009

They just finished a press conference. There was no real commitment as to what to do with North Korea other than that they don.t want nuclear proliferation. When asked whether the US would board ships, Obama was uncommitted. He said it would be worked out with the partners in the region, despite the UN resolution.

Roy C

at 10:09 on June 16th, 2009

Paschen, everyone is not talking, just the usual six-party members: Japan; South Korea; China; Russia; the US.

Bolton, the one-time ambassador for the UN, had praise for Obama and his new position, a change of policy by Obama, a resolution about not following the failed policies of Clinton and Bush.

The South Korean president has already begun taking a hard-line with North Korea, suspending cooperation.