Bush Reaches S.Korea for Three-Day Visit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 20, 2002

Bush Reaches S.Korea for Three-Day Visit

U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in Seoul Tuesday from Japan for a three-day visit.

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U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in S.Korea on Tuesday from Japan for a three-day visit.

It is Bush's first visit to South Korea but his meeting with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung will be the third since he became U.S. president.

The visit will provide Bush with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of inter-Korean relations and President Kim Dae-jung's sunshine policy, government officials said.

During Wednesday's summit, President Kim will emphasize the need for the sunshine policy, they said.

After the summit, the two leaders are scheduled to hold a jointpress conference.

South Korea will do its utmost to reaffirm its firm alliance with the United States and ensure peace and safety on the Korean Peninsula when U.S. President George W. Bush visits Seoul, South Korean presidential spokeswoman Park Sun-sook said Tuesday just before Bush's arrival.

"President Kim Dae-jung is well aware that people want stability and peace above all else. President Kim will deliver that to President Bush and the two leaders will have frank talks,"said the spokeswoman.

She stressed that Bush's Wednesday visit to the newly-opened Dorasan station on the inter-Korean railway near the demilitarizedzone shows U.S. support for South Korea's engagement policy towardthe Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and its will to resolve problems through dialogue.

Meanwhile, Park expressed her regret over a brief occupation ofthe American Chamber of Commerce office in South Korea Monday by South Korean university students protesting against Bush's visit.

Anxiety is running high and pessimistic speculation is widely spread in South Korea after Bush branded the DPRK as part of "axisof evil" last month.

The South Korean military and police have been on high alert for Bush's visit as past days have seen demonstrations and protestby South Korean civic and student groups against Bush's hard-line stance toward the DPRK.

Bush will leave here for China Thursday morning.

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