President Bush will take his hard line on North Korea right up to its border today on a visit aimed at convincing South Koreans his definition of the North as an "axis of evil" state will not interfere with improving ties.
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President George W Bush and his wife Barbara arrive in Seoul today Photo: Reuters
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Mr Bush's tough approach has prompted street protests and a scuffle in the South Korean parliament.
Mr Bush will hold talks with South Korean President Mr Kim Dae-jung, then travel just 30 miles north to visit UN observation post Ouellette. From there, he can see into North Korea across the Demilitarized Zone that has separated South and North since Korean War fighting ended in a truce in 1953.
In his State of the Union speech in January Mr Bush lumped North Korea in with Iran and Iraq as "axis of evil" states which combined development of weapons of mass destruction with support for terrorist groups.
President Kim has been pursuing a "sunshine policy" of engagement with the North. A major objective of Mr Bush's visit is convincing Mr Kim and the South Koreans that the two policies need not conflict.
Angry protesters have staged several demonstrations near the US Embassy since last weekend over Bush's stance.
Ruling party lawmaker Mr Song Sok-chan sparked an altercation in parliament and was rebuked by Mr Kim yesterday when he called Mr Bush "evil incarnate, who wants to make the division of Korea permanent."
Police with shields and riot sticks patrolled the streets of central Seoul ahead of Mr Bush's arrival today. Several protesters were detained after trading punches with police as they tried to break an airport security cordon.