Lee, Medvedev call on N. Korea to halt provocations

(ATTN: RECASTS lead paras; UPDATES with additional information)
By Byun Duk-kun
L'AQUILA, Italy, July 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday called for the strict
implementation of a U.N. resolution that condemned North Korea's recent nuclear
test, saying the communist nation needs to understand that it should be fully
responsible for its "bad behavior."

The joint call came in a summit held here in the central Italian city of
L'Aquila, where the leaders attended the Major Economies Forum on Energy and
Climate. The South Korean president arrived here late Wednesday following his
two-day trip to Poland.
"While noting the U.N. Security Council resolution regarding the North's missile
launch and second nuclear test was being carried out without any serious
problems, the two leaders agreed on the need to make North Korea understand that
bad behavior comes with consequences," said Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for South
Korea's presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae.
North Korea launched seven short- and medium-range missiles last week despite the
Security Council resolution that condemned its May 25 atomic test and urged
strict restraint from any further provocations.
Lee and the Russian president said the North's missile launches were only making
the situation worse.
The two also agreed to seek five-way consultations with the United States, Japan
and China, excluding North Korea, which is refusing to attend the six-party
denuclearization talks.
Seoul has been trying to arrange the consultations as a way to pressure
Pyongyang's return to the six-party negotiations. China, one of the North's
staunchest allies, has been reluctant to agree to the format as it is unwilling
to provoke Pyongyang.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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