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Bush, South Korean President to Discuss N. Korea's Nuclear Program


President Bush is scheduled to hold talks early Saturday with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The two leaders will meet in Hanoi on the sidelines of the two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that begins on Saturday.

The United States, Japan, Russia, China and the two Koreas are involved in six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

On Friday, Mr. Bush said he will urge other nations to fully implement U.N. sanctions imposed against North Korea last month. South Korea has called for caution regarding U.N. sanctions.

President Bush arrived in Hanoi Friday to participate in the APEC summit. He spent the day meeting with Vietnamese leaders to discuss economic reforms and improved bilateral relations.

Mr. Bush is using the APEC summit as an opportunity to discuss North Korea's nuclear program with leaders from other nations involved in the six-party talks. He is scheduled to also hold talks with leaders from Japan, Russia and China on the sidelines of the summit.

He says he also intends to raise the North Korean nuclear issue during the regular APEC meetings.

President Bush is the second U.S. president to visit the country since the end of the Vietnam war. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, was the first.

Mr. Bush's visit to Vietnam is part of a six-day, three-nation tour of Southeast Asia. He arrived in Vietnam from Singapore and will visit Indonesia before returning Tuesday to the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is accompanying Mr. Bush to Vietnam and Indonesia.

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