N. Korea must be held accountable if it refuses to denuclearize itself: Obama

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday he
was committed to diplomacy in seeking the nuclear dismantlement of North Korea
and Iran, but warned they will be held accountable if they refuse international
calls for their denuclearization.

"I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and a more
secure peace, for both nations, if they live up to their obligations," Obama told
the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
"But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international
standards -- if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional
stability and the security and opportunity of their own people, if they are
oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and
the Middle East -- then they must be held accountable," he said.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)