Roh, Bush, Abe pledge constructive role in settlement of N. Korean nuclear problem

Leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan on Saturday held their first three-way summit in four years in Hanoi and reconfirmed their close cooperation for regional peace and stability and the settlement of the North Korean nuclear problem, government officials said.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, U.S. President George W.

Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on the sidelines of the annual APEC summit and agreed that North Korea will not be recognized as a nuclear state, according to Roh's chief security policy secretary Song Min-soon.

"The three leaders shared an understanding that China's constructive role is very important for the settlement of the North Korean nuclear problem," Song said.

"Bush stressed that Northeast Asia holds significant economic importance for the U.S., while Roh urged the U.S. to play a role in the design of Northeast Asia's future and stressed the importance of dialogue as a means to resolve regional conflict," he said.

Hanoi, Nov. 18 (Yonhap News)