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President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a nuclear-armed North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world and vowed toend a cycle of allowing Pyongyang to create a crisis and then be rewarded with incentives to backdown.
"This is a pattern they've come to expect," Obama said. "Weare going to break that pattern."
With South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at his side in the White House Rose Garden, Obama said they agreed that a new U.N. resolutionseeking to halt North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles must be fully enforced. The U.N. did notauthorize military force to enforce the measures.
Lee said he and Obama agreed that "under no circumstance are we going to allow North Korea to possess nuclearweapons."
Obama said that North Korea's record of threatening other countries and spreading nuclear technology around the world meansit should not be recognized as a legitimate nuclear power.
"We will pursue denuclearization on the Korean peninsula vigorously," Obama said. "So we have notcome to a conclusion that North Korea will or should be a nuclear power. Given their past behavior, given the belligerent manner in which they are constantlythreatening their neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat not onlyto United States' security but to world security."
Nor will the international community respond to North Korean provocations, such as additional underground nuclear tests, byoffering financial incentives, Lee said.
"They will not be able to gain compensation by provoking a crisis," he said.
North Korea has bargained with other countries for more than a decade about giving up its nuclear program, gaining suchconcession as energy and economic aid, and then reneging.
Lee also called on the North Korean government to release two American journalists and one South Korean worker who are jailed intheNorth.
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon's second-in-command says North Korea's missiles could threaten the continental United States if thereclusive rogue nation continues to develop its weapons.
Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn agreed with an assessment by Sen. John McCain that the U.S. should be prepared for a"worst-case scenario" with North Korea.
Pentagon officials also told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that North Korea is working with other nations,including Iran and potentially Syria, to develop ballistic missiles.
"This is a pattern they've come to expect," Obama said. "Weare going to break that pattern."
With South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at his side in the White House Rose Garden, Obama said they agreed that a new U.N. resolutionseeking to halt North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles must be fully enforced. The U.N. did notauthorize military force to enforce the measures.
Lee said he and Obama agreed that "under no circumstance are we going to allow North Korea to possess nuclearweapons."
Obama said that North Korea's record of threatening other countries and spreading nuclear technology around the world meansit should not be recognized as a legitimate nuclear power.
"We will pursue denuclearization on the Korean peninsula vigorously," Obama said. "So we have notcome to a conclusion that North Korea will or should be a nuclear power. Given their past behavior, given the belligerent manner in which they are constantlythreatening their neighbors, I don't think there's any question that that would be a destabilizing situation that would be a profound threat not onlyto United States' security but to world security."
Nor will the international community respond to North Korean provocations, such as additional underground nuclear tests, byoffering financial incentives, Lee said.
"They will not be able to gain compensation by provoking a crisis," he said.
North Korea has bargained with other countries for more than a decade about giving up its nuclear program, gaining suchconcession as energy and economic aid, and then reneging.
Lee also called on the North Korean government to release two American journalists and one South Korean worker who are jailed intheNorth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon's second-in-command says North Korea's missiles could threaten the continental United States if thereclusive rogue nation continues to develop its weapons.
Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn agreed with an assessment by Sen. John McCain that the U.S. should be prepared for a"worst-case scenario" with North Korea.
Pentagon officials also told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that North Korea is working with other nations,including Iran and potentially Syria, to develop ballistic missiles.
