SEOUL, July 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush reaffirmed his country's alliance with South Korea Friday in a personal letter to President Roh Moo-hyun, officials said.
Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, delivered the letter in which he expressed hopes for better ties between the two nations, a presidential official said.
Roh thanked Bush for sending the letter, calling him "a man of optimism and energy," according to the official. Bush "does not seem to get tired or frustrated in any circumstances," Roh was quoted as saying. Further details of the letter were not immediately known.
During talks at the presidential office, Rice and Roh discussed ways to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis and international efforts to stabilize war-torn Iraq, officials said.
After the talks, Rice also met her South Korean counterpart, Kwon Jin-ho, and Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon.
Rice, who flew into Seoul earlier Friday on the last leg of her three-nation Asian trip that also took her to Japan and China, was to return home after her six-hour stay in Seoul.
