President Lee Myung-bak speaks with U.S. President Barack Obama, seen in a file photo, from Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. During the 25-minute phone conversation, they discussed a joint response to the March 26 sinking of the South Korean Navy vessel Cheonan. Obama pledged his country’s full support for South Korea and its handling of the incident. / Korea TimesClinton to visit next week to discuss joint response
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his full backing for South Korea and its investigation into the sinking of the Navy vessel Cheonan near the inter-Korean West Sea border, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.
President Lee Myung-bak and Obama spoke over the phone for about 25 minutes earlier to discuss a joint response to the naval tragedy.
"Obama told Lee that he fully trusts Seoul and backs its handling of the incident," the presidential office said in a press release.
Obama said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will fly to Seoul next week to discuss the case, adding the U.S. will closely cooperate with South Korea to deal with the aftermath. Clinton is scheduled to hold high-level meetings in Beijing from May 24 to 25.
Following weeks of joint investigations by naval experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia, the South Korean military will announce the results on Thursday.
Sources say the investigators have concluded that the cause of the sinking, which claimed the lives of 46 sailors, was a surprise torpedo attack by North Korea.
President Lee plans to call the leaders of the countries involved in the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program this week to share the outcome and urge a joint international reaction to the alleged act of provocation, his aides said.
The Lee administration is seeking to refer the case to the U.N. Security Council, but it's not clear whether Obama would back the move.
Following the conversation between Lee and Obama, the White House said in a statement, "They emphasized the importance of obtaining a full accounting of the event and committed to follow the facts of the investigation wherever they lead."
It, however, stopped short of blaming North Korea.
"The leaders reiterated that North Korea must live up to its commitment to eliminate its nuclear-weapons program, comply with its international obligations under relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, and put an end to belligerent behavior toward its neighbors," said the statement.
Secretary Clinton will make another visit to Seoul in July, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, for the first-ever two plus two security talks with their South Korean counterparts. The upcoming meeting is the result of an agreement made between Lee and Obama in Seoul last November.
The two leaders also agreed to hold a bilateral summit in late June on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Toronto, Canada, Cheong Wa Dae said.
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff reporter
Credits: Koreatimes
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