US 'committed to peace' in Korea

US President Barack Obama warned North Korea on Monday that provocation through nuclear and missile tests would lead to greater isolation and condemnation by the international community.

"Today we say: Pyongyang, have the courage to pursue peace and give a better life to the people of North Korea," Obama told students at Hankuk University in Seoul ahead of a nuclear summit. "I want to speak directly to the leaders in Pyongyang. The United States has no hostile intent towards your country. We are committed to peace."

Obama's speech sought to highlight the contrast between the highly developed South Korea and the desperately impoverished North, which depends on international aid to feed its citizens. The president had earlier visited the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) demilitarized zone along the border of the two countries, which are officially still at war despite a nearly six-decade-long armistice.

Nuclear summit

The 53-nation nuclear security summit in the South Korean capital is expected to largely focus on Iran, which Western countries suspect is seeking to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its uranium enrichment is for purely peaceful purposes.

"Once again, there is the possibility of a diplomatic resolution that gives Iran access to peaceful nuclear energy while addressing the concerns of the international community," Obama said. "Today, I'll meet with the leaders of Russia and China as we work to achieve a resolution in which Iran fulfills its obligations."

Russia and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, have resisted pressure from the West to tighten sanctions on the Islamic Republic. China is one of Iran's top purchasers of oil, and much of Iran's nuclear technology was supplied by Russia.

"There is time to solve this diplomatically. It's always my preference to solve these matters diplomatically," Obama said. "But time is short. Iran must act with the seriousness and sense of urgency that this moment demands."

acb/ccp (AP, AFP, Reuters)