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Bush 'has sent letter to N Korea' Bush 'has sent letter to N Korea'
(about 1 hour later)
US President George Bush has sent a personal letter to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il, according to the state news agency KCNA. US President George W Bush has sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to the state news agency KCNA.
The letter was delivered by US envoy Christopher Hill, KCNA reported. The agency did not give any information about the letter's content.The letter was delivered by US envoy Christopher Hill, KCNA reported. The agency did not give any information about the letter's content.
Mr Hill has just visited North Korea to assess progress on the disabling of its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.Mr Hill has just visited North Korea to assess progress on the disabling of its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon.
North Korea has agreed to end its nuclear programme in exchange for aid. If confirmed, the letter would be an unprecedented move by the president.
Under the international deal, signed in February, Pyongyang pledged to declare all its nuclear programmes and disable Yongbyon the end of the year. The letter was handed over during Mr Hill's meeting on Tuesday with North Korea's foreign minister Pak Ui-chun, KCNA reported.
Under an international deal, signed in February, Pyongyang pledged to declare all its nuclear programmes and disable Yongbyon the end of the year.
Deal 'at a crossroads'Deal 'at a crossroads'
The letter was handed over during Mr Hill's meeting on Tuesday with North Korea's foreign minister Pak Ui-chun, KCNA (the Korean Central News Agency) reported.
News of the letter comes a day after Mr Hill and South Korean ministers expressed concern that North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programme might not be completed on time.News of the letter comes a day after Mr Hill and South Korean ministers expressed concern that North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programme might not be completed on time.
Mr Hill said this declaration must include details of the country's alleged secret uranium enrichment programme. Mr Hill said this declaration had to include details of the country's uranium enrichment programme.
"We want to make sure that when we do transfer, even the first draft, it is a credible effort," he said in Beijing.
"We need them to step up and show some trust in us and trust in the process," he said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon said on Thursday that the deal was "at a crossroads where it may proceed towards a stable phase or to a rough road".South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon said on Thursday that the deal was "at a crossroads where it may proceed towards a stable phase or to a rough road".
The US has said it would consider removing North Korea from a list of countries it says sponsors terrorism if Pyongyang full complies with the deal.The US has said it would consider removing North Korea from a list of countries it says sponsors terrorism if Pyongyang full complies with the deal.
Meanwhile negotiations are continuing over a date for the next round of six-party talks, between the Koreas, Russia, the US and China.
Talks was due to restart this week but were called off because of to "scheduling problems", according to a US State Department spokesman.
Mr Bush once branded North Korea part of the "axis of evil", along with Iran and pre-war Iraq, and said the country was "an oppressive regime [whose] people live in fear and starvation".
North Korea's nuclear ambitions first attracted international attention in 2002 and in October 2006 Pyongyang shocked the world by testing a nuclear missile.