Gates: North Korea Still a Threat

U.S. Defense Chief Reiterates "Unwavering Commitment" to Protect S. Korea, with Nuclear Arsenal if Needed

(AP)  The U.S. defense secretary said Thursday that North Korea continues to pose a grave threat to international peace and pledged to protect South Korea with Washington's full military might, including its nuclear capabilities.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his South Korean counterpart, Kim Tae-young, said their two nations would never accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state. They accused the regime of undermining global security with atomic and missile threats, and said recent overtures from Pyongyang do not diminish the threat.

Ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests conducted in April and May "clearly violate" U.N. Security Council resolutions and international disarmament agreements, they said in a joint statement following their talks in Seoul.

The violations "undermine the global nonproliferation regime and constitute direct and grave threats to peace and stability" not only for South Korea and the region but also for the broader international community, they said.

Earlier, Gates reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defending ally South Korea.

"I want to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the United States to the alliance and to the defense of the Republic of Korea," he said before going into talks with Kim. "The United States will continue to provide extended deterrence, using the full range of military capabilities, including the nuclear umbrella" to ensure South Korea's security.

North Korea sees Washington's nuclear deterrent as a key threat to its survival, and has long maintained that it needs its own atomic program to defend itself against the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

Gates and Kim said they agreed to cooperate closely on implementing two U.N. Security Council resolutions that seek to stop North Korea from engaging in ballistic missile activity and in working toward bringing North Korea back to disarmament talks that involve Russia, Japan, China, U.S. and the two Koreas.

The strong stance from the top defense officials comes amid signs of possible softening by North Korea after months of tension over its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said earlier this month that his country could rejoin the six-party nuclear talks, depending on the status of direct talks it hopes to hold with the U.S.

North Korea's No. 2 nuclear negotiator, Ri Gun, is on his way to the U.S., where he is scheduled to attend a security forum next week in California and a seminar in New York. Ri also is reportedly expected to meet with the chief U.S. nuclear negotiator, Sung Kim, to set up bilateral talks.

[akelley0750]

Do any of you on this web site know anything about DPRK, it seems to me that all this stems from is the LEFT and RIGHT sides trying to find out which one has a bigger head (not the one your thinking of)

Lets get real this DPRK issue is going over looked and has been since 7-1-1968 when DPRK was going to sign the NON-Proliferation treaty.

Later Some time in 1993 DPRK pulls out of the NPT

Any body want to comment on the real history here.

[RedWings_ninety_one]

Very good Mr. Gates, what do you want, a medal?

[ToolMangler1]

"North Korea sees Washington's nuclear deterrent as a key threat to its survival, and has long maintained that it needs its own atomic program to defend itself against the U.S. nuclear umbrella."



That is one of the biggest lies that NK has ever concocted.
NK would have to have 9,000 nukes to even begin to be on a par with Russia or America and if they had them, what would that mean! MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) has made Nuclear war useless for any reason but destroying all life on this planet.
NK and Iran have to be among the most stupid nations on earth for even considering Nuclear weapons, (not energy).

[RedWings_ninety_one]

North Korea will continue to be a threat until something is done. Thank You very much Mr. Gates.

[stn_sage]

I don't believe we need to be reminded of that FACT by Mr. Gates.

North Korea may have been out of the headlines for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, but it's not 'out of mind' of Americans...we haven't forgotten they're ruled by a leader who's just a tad bit loony!

[quapawsix]

I am not a General but it seems to me he has a great deal to worry about with the rug rat look a like. He might not be able to launch one on the U.S. soil but he can launch one on our forces in Afghanistan and he might be a nut case he also knows launching on the South the fallout would settle in the North.

[sjc_1]

The north is a threat as long as that nut job is still running the country. With Clinton, the north and south were actually talking to one another. Families were meeting across the boarder for the first time in generations. Under Bush, you were either with us or against us and the north was part of the "axis of evil". If you want to start another cold war, you would use that phrase. If you want better relations, you work with the situation and make it better.

[Marc_1986]

@sjc

Clinton pretty much GAVE them a nuclear reactor...

[sjc_1]

Clinton did NOT give them a nuclear reactor. Please show your references for that statement.

[nextgenman09]

Gates is a relic. A member of the dying breed of old, white man fake republicans created by Reagan.

[TPS2]

What exactly does Gates' race have to do with anything? Gates was working in D.C. long before Reagan became president. People like you display your ignorance of the facts, by resorting to personal attacks. This is a serious issue, which effects the lives of millions of people including Americans and the best you can come up with is "Gates is a relic-A member of the dying breed of old, white man fake republicans created by Reagan." If you are any indication of the "next generation man" we all should fear for our nation's future.