US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, declared Tuesday that North Korea will not be rewarded for provocative threats and called for the robust enforcement of UN sanctions against the Stalinist state, according to dpa. Both leaders pledged to implement strong sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council on Friday that included the interception of North Korean vessels suspected of carrying nuclear or missile related technology. "We must pursue a sustained and robust effort to implement this resolution together with our international partners," Obama said at the White House after talks with Lee. Obama also said the United States has no intention of recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state following Pyongyang's second detonation of a nuclear device in May. "We have not come to a conclusion that North Korea will or should be a nuclear power," Obama said. Many observers believe Pyongyang is seeking recognition of its nuclear status. Obama reaffirmed the US commitment to South Korea's defence, and the two leaders restated their determination to keep the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons. "We agreed that under no circumstance are we going to allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons," Lee said. In addition to the underground nuclear test, North Korea has conducted missile tests and issued a series of provocative steps, including saying it no longer accepts the armistice that brought a ceasefire to the Korean War more than 50 years ago. Lee said his country, in partnership with the United States, is prepared for any contingency while saying South Koreans have grown accustomed to decades of North Korean threats. "They will think twice about taking any measures that they will regret," Lee said through a translator. "And, again, this very firm alliance that we have between the United States and Korea is going to prevent anything from happening."
