The White House 

                 Office of the Press Secretary 
                        (Seoul, Korea) 
______________________________________________________________ 
For Immediate Release                          July 11, 1993  


                   Remarks By The President 
                In Question And Answer Session 

                         Camp Bonifas, 
                      Demilitarized Zone 
                       Republic of  Korea  


2:55 P.M. (L) 


            Q    How many more years do you think this line will 
hold? 

            The President:  I don't know.  I hope it won't be 
long.  But in the meanwhile, I'm glad these people are here.  All 
these young men are doing something very important.  And when you 
see, as I said, when you see the way  North   Korea's  been behaving, 
their presence here is even more important. 

            The American people should be very proud of them; 
they are making a major contribution to the defense of freedom 
and also to the spread of freedom.  And in the end our side of 
that bridge will prevail. 

            Q    Do you think they know you're here? 

            The President:  I imagine they do.  They were 
certainly looking.  And someday they'll be able to -- 

            Q    Menacingly? 

            The President:  Well, I hope someday they'll just be 
able to walk on over here -- in peace. 

            Q    Knowing what you know now, do you think they're 
more likely or less likely, the  North  Koreans, to comply with the 
treaty? 

            The President:  Well, I don't know.  They've been 
rather calm in response to my trip here.  And that is somewhat 
encouraging.  But it doesn't make any sense.  When you examine 
the nature of the American security commitment to  Korea , to 
Japan, to this region, it is pointless for them to try to develop 
nuclear weapons because if they ever use them it would be the end 
of their country.  All they have to do is read our security -- 

            So I hope that this trip will serve to get things 
back on track.  And I hope they will comply.  The President of 
South  Korea , President Kim, has laid out a long-term gradual way 
of reunification that is clearly in the interest of the people on 
both sides of this great divide.  But we can't even resume that 
until they make it clear that they're going to stay in the 
nonproliferation treaty regime, they're going to allow the 
inspectors back in, they're not going to try to become a nuclear 
power.  That's the major issue for this day.  And until that 
happens, we just need to redouble our resolve and make it clear 
where we are. 

            Q    Well, weren't they moving toward a 
rapprochement, and all of a sudden something happened?  I mean 
they were really -- 

            The President:  They seemed to be.  And, as I said, 
President Kim reached out to them.  And it's clear that the 
people of South  Korea  would like reunification to be possible, if 
you can preserve democracy and freedom.  

            So we'll just have to see.  The wisdom of what our 
country has done for 40 years is basically demonstrated by this 
abrupt change in  North  Korean policy.  We know what works.  If we 
just stay strong and we stay resolute and we stay firm, we know 
that will work.  And eventually, we have to hope, that they will 
take the sensible course and that we can then resume the thaw 
that was in place before this last unfortunate development. 

            Thank you.  

                              End                  3:00 P.M. (L)