Obama: 'North Korea is a real threat'
Former US President Obama said international coordination is needed to address the "real threat" posed by North Korea.
|
US President Barack Obama. Photo:AFP. |
"North Korea is a real threat" and has developed a weapons program that "poses a major threat not only to the region but to the world,"AFPquoted former US President Barack Obama in Tokyo, Japan, today. He emphasized that "no country can solve the North Korea problem effectively by working together".
According to Mr. Obama, North Korea is currently "a country that has separated from international norms and has no connection with the world", so putting pressure on Pyongyang is extremely difficult.
Under Obama, Washington pursued a policy of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang, hoping that sanctions would force Pyongyang to abandon its weapons and nuclear ambitions. However, during this time, Pyongyang continued to conduct a series of nuclear and missile tests, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of the sanctions policy.
Mr. Obama is on a tour of Asia. He has visited Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.