N Korea nuclear test

US, Asia allies pledge hard-hitting response

The United States and its two main military allies in Asia, South Korea and Japan, pledged a combined push yesterday to secure a comprehensive, hard-hitting international response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test, reports AFP from Seoul.
The leaders of the three countries, who have long sought to project a united front against the North Korean nuclear threat, spoke by phone a day after Pyongyang’s shock announcement that it had tested its first hydrogen bomb.
While the announcement prompted widespread condemnation and calls for stiff sanctions against the secretive state, it was also greeted with some scepticism, with experts suggesting the apparent yield was far too low for a thermonuclear device.
In Seoul, the government took unilateral action by announcing the resumption of high-decibel propaganda broadcasts into the North—a tactic that had prompted Pyongyang to threaten military strikes when it was last employed during a cross-border crisis last year.
The consultations between the US, Japan and South Korea followed a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council in New York which, with backing from China, Pyongyang’s sole major ally, strongly condemned the test and said it would begin work on a new UN draft resolution that would contain “further significant measures”.
UN diplomats confirmed that talks were under way on strengthening several sets of sanctions that have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.
In South Korea, the mood was uncompromising, with President Park Geun-Hye calling for a strong international response to what she called a “grave provocation”.
Park spoke with US President Barack Obama on Thursday morning, with both leaders insisting that the test merited the “most powerful and comprehensive sanctions,” her presidential office said in a statement.
“The two leaders agreed that the North should pay the appropriate price... and vowed to closely cooperate to get a strong resolution adopted at the UN Security Council,” it added.
The White House, for its part, condemned North Korea’s “latest reckless behavior”.
“President Obama reaffirmed the unshakeable US commitment to the security of the ROK (Republic of Korea),” the statement said, using the acronym for South Korea’s official name.

N Korea nuclear test

US, Asia allies pledge hard-hitting response

The United States and its two main military allies in Asia, South Korea and Japan, pledged a combined push yesterday to secure a comprehensive, hard-hitting international response to North Koreas latest nuclear test, reports AFP from Seoul. The leaders of the three countries, who have long sought to project a united front against the North Korean nuclear threat, spoke by phone a day after Pyongyangs shock announcement that it had tested its first hydrogen bomb. While the announcement prompted widespread condemnation and calls for stiff sanctions against the secretive state, it was also greeted with some scepticism, with experts suggesting the apparent yield was far too low for a thermonuclear device. In Seoul, the government took unilateral action by announcing the resumption of high-decibel propaganda broadcasts into the Northa tactic that had prompted Pyongyang to threaten military strikes when it was last employed during a cross-border crisis last year. The consultations between the US, Japan and South Korea followed a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council in New York which, with backing from China, Pyongyangs sole major ally, strongly condemned the test and said it would begin work on a new UN draft resolution that would contain further significant measures. UN diplomats confirmed that talks were under way on strengthening several sets of sanctions that have been imposed on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006. In South Korea, the mood was uncompromising, with President Park Geun-Hye calling for a strong international response to what she called a grave provocation. Park spoke with US President Barack Obama on Thursday morning, with both leaders insisting that the test merited the most powerful and comprehensive sanctions, her presidential office said in a statement. The two leaders agreed that the North should pay the appropriate price... and vowed to closely cooperate to get a strong resolution adopted at the UN Security Council, it added. The White House, for its part, condemned North Koreas latest reckless behavior. President Obama reaffirmed the unshakeable US commitment to the security of the ROK (Republic of Korea), the statement said, using the acronym for South Koreas official name.