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China-Japan-Koreas
Roh, Bush casually discussed possible visit to N. Korea
2005-01-05
From the Rantburg Diplomacy Desk:
South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun raised eyebrows Tuesday by saying he and U.S. President George W. Bush had casually discussed a joint visit to an industrial park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong this year.
Yeah, me 'n' George were chatting, y'see..."
But presidential spokesman Kim Jong Min later Tuesday downplayed Roh's remarks to Cabinet ministers and vice minister-level officials to mark the New Year at the presidential office, saying they should not be interpreted as an agreement between the two leaders.
"It was more like, y'know, a recipe swap. Did you know that Laura pickles her own kimchee?"
"We are not officially pursuing a visit to Kaesong by the leaders," the spokesman was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
"Why me, lord, why me?" he added as he took a big swig of soju and buried his head in his hands.
Roh reportedly said that when he met briefly with Bush in a corridor at last November's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, he asked Bush to visit Kaesong with him when the U.S. president visits South Korea this coming November for another APEC summit. "President Bush replied that he will do so along with me if I go there," the South Korean president was quoted as saying.
Posted by:Seafarious

#12  It should be noted that Mr. Roh speaks no English and Mr. Bush speaks no Korean. I suspect that what we have here is a case of a simple exchange of courtesies in the hallway being blown out of proportion by the Koreans. I really blame the translators used by the Koreans. This will be the third time that they have bungled it rather badly. The first was when President Bush used the term 'this man' when referring to then President Kim Dae-jung during their meeting in Washington in 2001. The Korean press claimed that President Bush was 'talking down' to President Kim, whereas it was clearly understood by EVERYBODY ELSE that the opposite was intended with President Bush's use of the vernacular. This same incompetence by the Korean translators was demonstrated during President Roh's visit to Washington in 2003 when President Bush commented that President Roh was an 'easy' person to deal with. The Korean translators interpretation was that the term 'easy' was to mean 'naively stupid'.

Yeah, ya just gotta love 'em.
Posted by: Michael Sheehan   2005-01-05 10:52:04 PM  

#11  BYOTB ("Bring Your Own Tree Bark")

And if its willow bark, it'll kill the pain (in the arse?) at the same time!
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-01-05 10:32:04 PM  

#10  BYOTB ("Bring Your Own Tree Bark")
Posted by: True German Ally   2005-01-05 7:19:51 PM  

#9  Roh reportedly said that when he met briefly with Bush in a corridor

haha.
Posted by: 2b   2005-01-05 8:48:58 AM  

#8  . . . presidential spokesman Kim Jong Min later Tuesday downplayed Roh's remarks to Cabinet ministers and vice minister-level officials . . . , saying they should not be interpreted as an agreement between the two leaders.

Translation: Roh shot his mouth off. Sorry, trolls.
Posted by: Mike   2005-01-05 6:34:13 AM  

#7  You're such an ass, smn. The norks put those damn horns on themselves.
Posted by: beer_me   2005-01-05 3:46:04 AM  

#6  Well,well...what goes around, comes around! "W" put those 'evil horns' on the Norks, now he's going to have to be the one to yank em off! I see alot of cheese in the corner of his mouth. Let's remember...he apologized to the Chinese exactly the way they wanted him to, to get that EP3 plane back (unassembled of course) and it's crew!!!
Posted by: smn   2005-01-05 2:45:36 AM  

#5  Roh probably ambushed George: Who the heck knows where or what Kaesong is. Bush probably thought it was Roh's summer place. You cant keep track of all these funny names.
Posted by: Glereper Craviter7929   2005-01-05 2:05:33 AM  

#4  I know Bolton from State nailed him recently.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-01-05 1:34:48 AM  

#3  Didn't an ex-diplo just bitch-slap Roh recently? I thought I read it here.
Posted by: anonymous2U   2005-01-05 1:15:00 AM  

#2  Tell me, Dubya, what happen'd to the ole asses of evil? Ya gonna go ropin' that 'ar Commie Kim? Hear he got some serious wmd buck shot up north, dont cha know.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-01-05 12:43:23 AM  

#1  Pray tell, for what purpose? Roh's a stroke-job. I wouldn't accompany him anywhere - especially if it would serve to prop his tranzi ass up at home and puff up his coterie of too-soft too-stupid too-toolish for prime-time huckleberries.

Pfeh. This is just tfoolishness.
Posted by: .com   2005-01-05 12:15:05 AM  

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