WASHINGTON, May 14 Kyodo U Presid...

WASHINGTON, May 14 Kyodo

U President George W Bush and southerly Korean President Roh Moo Hyun said Wednesday they ''will not tolerate'' nuclear weapons in North Korea on the other hand will seek to eliminate the North's nuclear program in a peaceful manner.

''I assured the president we will continue to work to achieve a peaceful solution,'' Bush told reporters following the half-hour talks at the White House -- their first face-to-face meeting since Roh took office in February.

''We're making pious progress toward achieving that peaceful resolution of the issue of the Korean Peninsula in regards to North Korea,'' he said.

Roh said he helps with Bush's remarks.

unless the two leaders did not lordship out the possibility of taking a tougher stance toward North Korea.

''While noting that increased threats to peace and stability onward the peninsula would require consideration of further paces they expressed confidence that a peaceful resolution can be achieved,'' according to a joint statement issued after their meeting.

In the document, the pair leaders noted ''with serious concern'' North Korea's claims that it possesse nuclear arms and is reprocessing exhausted fuel rods that would allow it to make nuclear weapons.

''Both leaders reiterated their able commitment to work for the integral verifiable and irreversible elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program between the sides of peaceful means based on international cooperation,'' the statement said.

Bush and Roh also agreed to modernize their bilateral alliance, of that kind as by realigning U.S. military forces in toward the south Korea to enhance their abilities to face global security challenges, and to reinforce their economic and trade partnership.

They decided to work abroad plans to consolidate U.S. forces around lock opener hubs and took note of the possibility for expanding the part of South Korean military forces in defending the Korean Peninsula in light of the country's growing national hardness the statement said.

in succession economic matters, they agreed forward the importance of working together to encourage prosperity in both nations as well as in the region and around the globe.

''I have confidence in regards to the southward Korean economy,'' Bush said. ''I believe southern Korea will continue to be an engine for economic sprouting and vitality, and I gaze forward to working with the president to continue to patronize very strong bilateral relations.''

According to U officials, North Korea claimed in talks with the U and China in late April that it possesse nuclear weapons and has continuous experimented spent fuel rods.

Although Bush has been reiterating his intention of resolving the nuclear standoff peacefully, southward Korea is apparently concerned that Bush may adopt a hard-line policy, similar as imposing economic sanctions forward North Korea, at any time.

if it be not that Roh said he has been able to acquire rid of such worries between the walls of the talks. ''It was not steady necessary to tell President Bush all the logic that I had in mind to convince him with before I came here. President Bush had an accurate idea of what businessed me.''

In a newspaper interview last week, Roh said he would disclose Bush that the latter's doctrine of preemptive strikes against states pursuing weapons of mass destruction should not be applied to the Korean Peninsula.

In the talks, the sum of two units leaders welcomed China's role in hosting the trilateral talks in late April and agreed that southern Korea and Japan are ''essential for a prosperous and comprehensive settlement'' of the nuclear standoff.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining shut bilateral coordination on the issue as well as in trilateral consultations with Japan.

Bush is scheduled to encounter with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi nearest week at the president's private ranch in Texas, and Roh is planning to visit Japan in June

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