WASHINGTON, May 12 Kyodo southwar...

WASHINGTON, May 12 Kyodo

southward Korean President Roh Moo Hyun will rehearse U.S. President George W Bush this week that the Bush doctrine of allowing preemptive strikes against states pursuing weapons of mass destruction should not be applied to the Korean Peninsula, the Washington Times reported Monday.

''I abundantly understand the mood and the circumstances that gave rise to the doctrine,'' Roh said in an interview with the paper in Seoul last Friday.

Roh generally on a trip to just discovered York, will meet with Bush at the White House upon Wednesday.

At the same time, however, Roh said, ''I would like to discuss with President Bush that the circumstances forward the Korean Peninsula may not be appropriate for applying this principle.''

Roh said he wants to agree with Bush forward the principle of peacefully resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

''There are any Koreans who are afraid that President Bush's peaceful resolution principles may change at any minute,'' he said.

Roh said a military conflict with North Korea is a ''calamity'' for southerly Korea.

''If possible, we think it is often more reasonable for us to induce North Korea to reform itself and to spread up to the outside world,'' Roh said, citing the policy of social, political and economic engagement begun on his predecessor, former President Kim Dae Jung according to the Washington Times.

Roh was onward his first visit to the United States after taking office in February.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo freshs International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group