Thaindian News

SEOUL (BNO NEWS) — The White House on early Monday said it fully supports new South Korean measures against the North in response to a deadly naval attack in March which killed dozens of South Koreans.

The statement came hours after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak announced a series of measures against the North in response to the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship. The sinking of the ship, which killed 46 South Korean sailors, has been blamed on a North Korean torpedo.

Among the measures announced, Lee said it would no longer allow North Korean ships to make passage through any shipping lanes in the waters under South Korean control, which was allowed under the Inter-Korean Agreement on Maritime Transportation.

Further, Lee said that trade and exchanges between the two countries will be suspended. He also said that the country will immediately exercise its right of self-defense if its territorial waters, airspace or territory are violated.

And besides those measures, Lee said he would refer the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

The White House said it fully supports the measures against the North, and said President Barack Obama will fully support South Korea.

“The measures that the government of the Republic of Korea announced today are called for and entirely appropriate,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. “The Republic of Korea can continue to count on the full support of the United States, as President Obama has made clear.”

Gibbs said the United States endorses Lee’s demand that North Korea should immediately apologize and punish those responsible for the attack. “And, most importantly, stop its belligerent and threatening behavior,” Gibbs said.

The Press Secretary continued to say that the U.S. support for South Korea’s defense is “unequivocal” and said Obama has directed his military commanders to coordinate closely with their South Korean counterparts to ensure readiness and to defer further aggression. “We will build on an already strong foundation of excellent cooperation between our militaries and explore further enhancements to our joint posture on the Peninsula as part of our ongoing dialogue,” Gibbs said.

The White House said it fully supports South Korea’s move to bring the issue to the United Nations Security Council, and said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Rice are consulting ‘very closely’ with their Korean counterparts, as well as with Japan, China, and other U.N. Security Council member states in order to reach an agreement on the steps in the Council.

“In response to the pattern of North Korean provocation and defiance of international law, the President has directed U.S. government agencies to review their existing authorities and policies related to the DPRK,” Obama said. “This review is aimed at ensuring that we have adequate measures in place and to identify areas where adjustments would be appropriate.”

Gibbs said the United States will continue to work with South Korea and other allies and partners to ‘reduce the threat that North Korea poses to regional stability.’

Further, Obama and Lee have agreed to meet in Canada at the time of the G-20 Summit, which is scheduled to take place in late June. Clinton will also meet with Lee before the G-20 Summit and report to Obama.