25/04/2014 18:59
Obama: May be time for more North Korea sanctions
In a display of unity against North Korea's provocations, President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned Pyongyang on Friday that it could face tougher sanctions if it follows through with threats to launch a fourth nuclear test, The Associated Press reported.
Striking an even harsher tone than Obama, Park also suggested any test would trigger an undesirable nuclear arms race in the region and render further nuclear negotiations pointless.
North Korea will get "nothing except further isolation" if it proceeds with its test, Obama said at a joint news conference in Seoul. But he also acknowledged there are limits to what effects additional penalties can have on the country.
"North Korea already is the most isolated country in the world, by far," Obama said. "Its people suffer terribly because of the decisions its leaders have made. And we are not going to find a magic bullet that solves this problem overnight."
Still, he said, it's important to look at new ways to pressure North Korea, including applying sanctions that have "even more bite."
Park added that such a test would bring "fundamental change" to the region's security landscape and trigger a nuclear arms race as countries hurry to match the North's nuclear capabilities. She said such an outcome would make it fruitless to resume negotiations with North Korea aimed at getting it to abandon its nuclear weapons and its nuclear program.
Park said her government has assessed that the North is "fully ready now" to conduct another nuclear test.
"This is a very tense situation," she said through a translator. "President Obama's visit to South Korea sends a strong message to North Korea that its provocative acts cannot be tolerated."