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Obama: Six-party talks to achieve Korean Peninsula issues

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-05 14:44

WASHINGTON -- US President Barack Obama, who is visiting Europe, said on Sunday that his government will continue working for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the six-party talks.

"The Six-Party Talks provide the forum for achieving denuclearization, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern between North Korea (DPRK), its four neighbors, and the United States."

US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama step off Air Force One in Prague, Czech Republic, April 4, 2009. [Agencies]

He said what the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched Sunday was "a Taepodong 2 missile" and called it "a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718."

He said the US will immediately consult with allies in the region, including Japan and South Korea, and members of the UN Security Council to bring the matter before the Council.

Obama made the statement in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, where he is going to make a speech on nuclear nonproliferation later on Sunday.

The DPRK launched a rocket at 11:30 am local time (0230 GMT), which was confirmed by the Japanese and South Korean governments. But Pyongyang did not make any announcement on it after the launch.

South Korean and Russian news agencies said a satellite was carried by the rocket, in contrast to Obama's statement.

The DPRK declared on February 24 that its launching of the satellite was part of a peaceful space program. It would be carried by the "Galaxy 2" space launch vehicle.

The DPRK said it is entitled to develop its own space program and other countries like the United States have no rights to interfere.

The DPRK said it put an experimental satellite "Kwangmyongsong-1" into orbit in August 1998. But the United States said that it was a "Taepodong-1" missile test-launch.