Clark says UN action needed on North Korea

Prime Minister Helen Clark today urged the United Nations to bring its full weight to bear on North Korea which yesterday announced it had conducted a nuclear test.

The announcement caused international outrage and the UN Security Council has called a meeting for today to discuss its response.

Miss Clark, who condemned the test, said today she believed the United Nations was ready to "engage seriously" with the issue.

"And the best diplomatic minds in the world are going to have to be brought to bear on how to move North Korea off this disastrous course," she told National Radio.

New Zealand would back sanctions or whatever measure the UN Security Council decided on.

"New Zealand will go along with the Security Council decisions as we must. We certainly urge the Security Council now to be putting its full weight behind...talks and getting North Korea into dialogue."

Miss Clark believed there was hope that the nuclearisation process could be stopped as other countries, such as South Africa and in South America, which had been working towards nuclear weapons had ceased.

"There are certainly precedents there for North Korea to get off this hobby horse and come back into the fold and work seriously with others in the six party talks to find a peaceful way forward."

Ms Clark said yesterday's test was "very bad news" for the world.

"What it means is that there is a state with the nuclear weapons capacity to threaten others. China won't want that on its borders, nor will Russia nor will Japan nor will South Korea nor will the rest of East Asia and the world."

There was yet to be a formal end to the war between North and South Korea so there would be added tension there.

Miss Clark reiterated New Zealand's view that China remained a key player as it was one of a very few countries North Korea was willing to listen to.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today that North Korea had a disregard for peace and stability in the region.

In a speech to a Korea-NZ Seminar, Mr Peters called on North Korea not to proceed with nuclear testing.

"North Korea must desist from the folly of thinking the nuclear path is the best way forward, for the sake of not only its own people but for the whole peninsula, and indeed the world," Mr Peters said.

"Every step that responsible nations can take to ensure that the North Korean regime comes to this conclusion must be taken now, before it leads to further escalation, both in the region and elsewhere."

Mr Peters yesterday described the test as "unpardonable".

In Australia Prime Minister John Howard has warned the nuclear test will destabilise the region and further isolate North Korea.

"We are both disturbed and outraged at this action by North Korea, which should be condemned in the strongest possible terms," he said.

"The test has destabilised the region, it's eroded North Korea's own security."

Australia - one of the few countries with formal relations with North Korea - plans to lodge an official protest.

- NZPA