Seoul, June 10: South Korea reiterated today that possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea would not be tolerated, a day after the Communist state admitted it was seeking to develop them. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Sun-Heung said Seoul's position on North Korea's nuclear weapons drive was clear and consistent. "As we have said, we cannot tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea," Kim said. President Roh Moo-Hyun, speaking to aides on his return from a four-day visit to Tokyo, said South Korea would continue to press for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear crisis. "President Roh suggested that he would do his best to reach agreement with Japan and the United States (on how to resolve the nuclear standoff but would oppose other options except dialogue," spokesman Yoon Tae-Young said. At a May 14 White House summit, Roh and US President George W. Bush agreed that "further steps" -- widely viewed as economic pressure -- may be needed against North Korea. A senior South Korea government official said Roh's latest statement emphasizing dialogue did not conflict with the White House agreement. "Nothing has changed in the South Korean position. I think 'further steps' can start once dialogue and diplomacy have been exhausted. We are not at that stage yet," the official told.
Bureau Report