Obama strongly condemns N.K. nuclear test, vows to seek significant measures against Pyongyang

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday strongly condemned North Korea's fifth nuclear test, vowing to seek "significant" new sanctions, reaffirming the U.S. security commitment to South Korea and pledging never to accept Pyongyang as a nuclear state.

"The United States condemns North Korea's Sept. 9 nuclear test in the strongest possible terms as a grave threat to regional security and to international peace and stability. North Korea stands out as the only country to have tested nuclear weapons this century," Obama said in a statement.

"Today's test, North Korea's second this year, follows an unprecedented campaign of ballistic missile launches, which North Korea claims are intended to serve as delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons targeting the United States and our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan," he said.

Obama stressed that the U.S. "does not, and never will, accept North Korea as a nuclear state."

Obama said he spoke by phone with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and agreed to work with the international community to "to take additional significant steps, including new sanctions, to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to its unlawful and dangerous actions."

"I restated to President Park and Prime Minister Abe the unshakable U.S. commitment to take necessary steps to defend our allies in the region, including through our deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the ROK, and the commitment to provide extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. defense capabilities," he said.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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