アンチナショナリズム宣言

South Korea, meanwhile, believes that an official cessation of hostilities would pave the way for a warming of relations between the South and the North. So when the two leaders emerged for a brief media appearance after their meeting, Mr. Roh pressed Mr. Bush.

“I think I might be wrong ― I might be wrong ― I think I did not hear President Bush mention the ― a declaration to end the Korean War just now,” Mr. Roh said. “Did you say so, President Bush?”

After Mr. Bush told Mr. Roh it was up to the North Korean leader, Mr. Roh, apparently not satisfied, pressed again.

“If you could be a little bit clearer in your message,” he said.

Mr. Bush cut him off. “I can’t make it any more clear,” Mr. Bush said, ending the exchange with a very terse, “Thank you.”

This is not the first time Mr. Bush and Mr. Roh have clashed over North Korea policy; when the United States moved to shut down financial transactions through a Macau bank used by the North Koreans, Mr. Roh publicly protested. Mr. Roh had also promised Mr. Bush at the White House that if North Korea tested nuclear weapons, there would be a severe reaction from the South. But there was not.

Even so, American officials chalked the Sydney exchange up to a translation problem, and dismissed any speculation of tension between the two men.

“I can tell you that they had a very warm meeting,” said Dana Perino, the deputy White House press secretary.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at Sejong Institute in South Korea, said the exchange reflected both North-South politics and United States-Korea relations. By pressing Mr. Bush to clarify his position before journalists, Mr. Roh was trying to put pressure on Washington ― a move that could help him at home, because many South Koreans feel the United States has not been aggressive enough in starting a Korea peace process.

“Roh was likely trying to emphasize South Korea’s mediating role, to highlight his diplomatic achievement,” Mr. Cheong said.

Tim Johnson contributed reporting from Sydney, Choe Sang-hun from Seoul and David E. Sanger from Washington.