South Korea's president aims at crippling North Korea by suspending trade

South Korea's president lashed out at North Korea by suspending trade in a move aimed at crippling the impoverished regime as payback for a torpedo attack on a warship that killed 46 South Korean soldiers.

President Lee Myung-bak also pledged to take Pyongyang back to the United Nations Security Council for possible additional international sanctions and prohibited North Korea's cargo ships from passing through South Korean waters, in retaliation for the March 26 sinking.

"From this moment, no North Korean ship will be allowed to make passage through any of the shipping lanes in the waters under our control, which has been allowed by the Inter-Korean Agreement on Maritime Transportation. The sea routes meant for inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation must never again be used for armed provocations. Trade and exchanges between the Republic of Korea and North Korea will also be suspended."

"I solemnly urge the North Korean authorities to do the following: apologise immediately to the Republic of Korea and the international community. Immediately punish those who are responsible for (the incident), and those who were involved in the incident. These are basic measures that the North has to take before anything else."

In Washington, the White House said US President Barack Obama fully supports the South's measures, and US secretary of state Hilary Clinton said she was conferring on a response to the North's "provocative acts" with China.

The sinking of the Cheonan near the Koreas' western maritime border was South Korea's worst military disaster since the three-year Korean War.

An international team of investigators said last week that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine tore the ship in two.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Korea
• Navy
• Cheonan
• Lee Myung Bak
• President
• news
• asia

[Phuxx0r]

Kim Jong-il doesn't want to be seen as weak infront of his people. If he shows weakness towards the West, the West will surely win over North Koreans which would jeopardise Kim Jong-il's sons' success as the next leader of North Korea. I highly doubt China supporting North Korea, China is too close to becoming a superpower and a financial house of the world. In recent years China has bonded with the West quite a lot, becoming fond of the lesser Westerners.

[Phuxx0r]

This is a delicate situation and neither Americans or Europeans can deny China being our strongest sector in the global economy. A war would be devastating since it will effect China, and if China fails then the global economy will evidently collapse. North Korea has plenty of motivation to do it, it's even being backed into a corner by China who is pressuring North Korea into returning to the 6 party talks over nuclear capabilities.

[KOREAisHana]

이명박 대통령님! 지금은 현대건설 시절의 노하우를 활용하여 북한의 남침땅굴 의심지역을 시추해 보아야 합니다! 적화통일 위기입니다. 북한이 땅굴을 지하철로 연결하여 서울을 접수하면 끝입니다! 남굴사(떠블류떠블류떠블류.ddanggul.컴)에 접속하셔서 글들을 읽어보세요!

[kwonneon]

Sence when Akihito Tsukiyama become the Korean president ?

Go back to japan Rat

[EARTH51087]

If you look at asia from space it is lit up like a Christmas tree, except for one black hole of death and sorrow that takes the shape of north korea. Does anyone in the world not want to see this regime be done away with? South korea should pummel those "cold war era thinking" scumbags. Those poor Koreans could have everything that theyre south korean brothers have.There is no reason anymore why korea needs to be separated, koreans r koreans and korean people want unity. to hell with the north

[EARTH51087]

can sum1 30 or older tell me wat they think of whats going on ion korea and what u think will happen. how will it all end. I think the south wants this war NOW. i dont think they are not interested in spending the next 30 years dealing with the same shit while it bolsters its atomic arsenal.

[johnpie2]

HERROW?

[skydeedaar11]

@pyeon what did you do?

[m1grand70]

@Phuxx0r yea, china is very close in relation with north korea but i think it would be a bad idea for them, china would be risking their economy and good relations with western countries. And yes this whole situation is extremely delicate and everyone needs to think twice at this moment with so much at risk.

[lovatolover8201992]

we doesn't South Korea kick North Korea's ass and we'll start this party! WOO-HOO!

[pyeon]

North Korean commandos attacked the offcial residence of South Korean president to kill the President Park chung Hee. North Korea blew apart a South Korean commercial air craft killing hundreds of passengers. North Korea assassinated a group of Korean government cabinet ministers attending a function in Burma. North Korea torpedoed a South Korean Naval ship killing 46 sailors..South does not challenge those aggression because they fear an all out war, and will do almost everything to avoid

[S0undBite]

WW3... about fucking time