What will be discussed at Korea-U.S. summit?

At the scheduled March 7 summit in Washington between President Kim Dae-Jung and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, the leaders of the two governments are expected to reaffirm their alliance in the wake of the inauguration of the Republican administration and fine-tune their policies on North Korea.

Presidents Kim and Bush are to exchange views on South-North relations and a wide range of issues related to the four major powers surrounding the Korean peninsula, namely the U.S., Japan, China and Russia, as well as the situation in the Northeast Asian region. On the basis of their discussions, the two are expected to reach a consensus and endorse related policy measures.

During the forthcoming talks, President Kim is likely to stress that the future U.S. policy direction on North Korea will be in favor of the maintenance of inter-Korean rapprochement. He will brief his counterpart on the outcome of the Seoul government efforts to promote reconciliation and cooperation with the North and emphasize the necessity of strong Seoul-Washington ties in order to establish a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, the summit will provide President Bush with an opportunity to receive a first-hand account from the Korean president of the changes taking place in the North. The U.S. president is expected to take into account Kim`s statements in setting his administration`s North Korea policies.

The new U.S. government is likely to place substantial weight on Kim`s assessment of the situation on the peninsula and in Northeast Asia, specifically Pyongyang`s recent moves toward openness, Chinese maneuvers to restrain the U.S., and Russia`s attempts to expand its influence on the two Koreas.

Through their talks the leaders of the two governments are expected to share the view that continued progress in improving inter-Korean relations would have a positive impact on the promotion of peace not only on the Korean peninsula but also in Northeast Asia.

Based on this common stance, Presidents Kim and Bush are likely to fine-tune their respective positions on matters of future policy direction with respect to inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, the planned reciprocal visit to Seoul by North Korean Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il, the buildup of a peace regime on the peninsula and the issue of the North`s possession and development of weapons of mass destruction, including its nuclear and missile development programs.

Speaking on the coming Korea-U.S. summit, a Cheong Wa Dae officals noted that there was some concern about bilateral policy coordination toward Pyongyang but said that when the two leaders meet and talk, any apprehensions would be resolved. The government`s statement of confidence in the summit seems to stem from expectations that the Bush administration is sure to fully reflect Seoul`s position in its formulation of its future North Korean policy.

However, pointing out that the Republican administration maintains a hard-line stance on the North Korean missile issue, some officials contended that although the two allies would be able to reach a broad agreement on most outstanding questions, this did not mean that the Korea-U.S. relations would be smooth enough to preclude any difficulties in their actual implementation.

Also to be noted is the fact that trade issues also will be on the summit agenda. Robert Zoellick, trade representative-designate, stated earlier that the Korea Development Bank`s roll-over of corporate bonds issued by Hyundai Electronics Industries raised a serious problem with regard to World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations that prohibit government subsidies to enterprises. His statement may hint at the Bush administration`s future trade policy toward Korea.

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com