hankyoreh

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and U.S. President George W. Bush may hold a summit this summer if the two countries' negotiations on free trade agreement (FTA) are successfully concluded, Roh's chief security adviser suggested here Wednesday.

Baek Jong-chun, chief presidential secretary for unification, foreign and security policy, told reporters that Seoul and Washington have a common understanding of the need to hold a summit this summer, depending on the progress of bilateral FTA talks and the settlement of North Korean nuclear weapons problem.

"A number of important pending issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control, have been resolved and the settlement of the North Korean nuclear problem has entered a new phase. If the FTA talks proceed smoothly, it will be natural for the two leaders to meet," Baek said.

He made the remarks after meeting with his U.S. counterpart, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and other officials and opinion leaders on arriving here on Tuesday. According to other officials accompanying Baek, the Roh-Bush summit, if confirmed, could be held in June at the earliest.

Washington, Feb. 28 (Yonhap News)