Stop 8216;threatening behaviour8217;: US to NKorea

Earlier,President Barack Obama had his intelligence briefing and spoke with the national security team on the increasing tension in the Korean Peninsula in the wake of the investigations revealing that North Korea was behind the sinking of a South Korean warship early this month.

8220;We endorse President Lee8217;s demand that North Korea immediately apologise and punish those responsible for the attack,and,most importantly,stop its belligerent and threatening behaviour,8221; Gibbs had earlier said in an unusual statement issued in the wee hours of the day.

Noting that US8217; support for South Korea8217;s defence is unequivocal,Gibbs said Obama has directed his military commanders to coordinate closely with their South Korean counterparts to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression.

8220;We will build on an already strong foundation of excellent cooperation between our militaries and explore further enhancements to our joint posture on the Peninsula as part of our ongoing dialogue,8221; Gibbs said.

Meanwhile,State Department spokesman P J Crowley said US is seek a change in North Korea8217;s behaviour.

8220;We have over the years taken a variety of different approaches to North Korea; and tragically and unfortunately,at some point in time North Korea resorts to this kind of provocative behaviour. We8217;re going to make clear that there will be consequences,8221; he said.

8220;We will be looking at the implications of this and making clear to North Korea that these kinds of unwarranted steps will have consequences,8221; Crowley said in response to a question but quickly pointed out that America8217;s actions are not intended to punish the North Korean people.

8220;We have a quarrel with the North Korean Government and its ongoing,unhelpful,and provocative steps. We will evaluate both multilaterally and unilaterally areas in which we might be able to have an additional impact on the North Korean Government. But our intent here is not to make life even more difficult than it already is to the North Korean people,8221; Crowley said.

The United States and South Korea will put together a strong,concerted,international response,he said,adding that there are a variety of steps that can be taken.

8220;The President of South Korea announced some of those steps last night. We completely support South Korea in its efforts 8211; in the coming days will bring the matter before the UN Security Council.

The US is committed to support South Korea as it does so. The Secretary of State will have meetings in Beijing tomorrow and in Seoul on Wednesday and we will consider further steps,and then she8217;ll bring that perspective back here to Washington,8221; he said.

Crowley said the US is seeking steps that make clear to North Korea that these kinds of unwarranted,provocative actions will not be tolerated.

8220;The purpose of any steps that we take is not to heighten tensions in the Korean Peninsula; it is to shift to a fundamentally different path,8221; he said.

8220;This is a path that North Korea has had available to it for many,many years and for whatever reason has chosen consistently the wrong path,whether it8217;s a failure to step up to its obligations or provocative steps that have impeded progress and have increased tensions in the peninsula,8221; he added.

8220;So we will be working closely in the coming days and weeks with our international partners and we think we can send a strong signal to North Korea that there will be consequences for these kinds of tragic and unfortunate events,8221; Crowley said.