Bush spurned secret 2002 N. Korea overture-report

Wed Jun 22, 3:36 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il attempted to engage

President Bush directly on the nuclear weapons issue three years ago but the administration spurned the overture, two American experts on Asia said on Wednesday.

Writing in the Washington Post, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea South Korea Donald Gregg and former journalist Don Oberdorfer expressed concern that Kim's November 2002 initiative was never pursued and urged Bush to respond positively to his current overture, made last week.