The North Koreans have to be serious about living up to their obligations, the White House said on Tuesday amidst reports of new enrichment facility by the communist state.
"North Koreans have to be serious about living up to their obligations, and not having done so has put the sanctions regime in place that is the strongest the country has ever faced and has greatly increased the price of their noncompliance," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
Mr Gibbs said the threat from North Korea has always been serious.
"We have certainly taken it as such and will continue to do so. That's why we went to the UN to get a stronger sanctions regime on their ability to move anything out of their country that could do others harm," he said.
"Obviously their claims, if true, contradict the pledges and commitments that they've made repeatedly to the international community," Mr Gibbs said in response to a question about latest revelation from North Korea about their new enrichment facility.
"We've had a long list of concerns about North Korea and this potentially adds one more concern to that list. North Korea has nuclear programs. North Korea has, for a number of years, we believe, been looking to see how to develop an enrichment capability, so this is not new," State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
"But this is clearly a violation of North Korea's international obligations of its commitments. It remains our view that North Korea must take complete verifiable and irreversible steps towards denuclearization. that is our policy. our policy remains intact. and we will consult with our partners on the way forward," Crowley said.
"North Korea has to take affirmative steps to denuclearize. It has to be willing to credibly show that it's prepared to meet its international obligations. (In the 2005) joint statement, it was North Korea itself that committed to denuclearization. we are going to look for North Korea to work constructively with the international community. and clearly, if this programme is, in fact, a uranium enrichment programme, it's a step in the wrong direction," he said.
Senator Richard Lugar, Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said North Korea's revelations regarding continued development of its nuclear programme come as no surprise.
"Ongoing work is underway to expand its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities on the chemical and biological fronts as well. with a trading network operating in scores of countries, and a supporting cast in Burma, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and individuals in other areas, North Korea has signaled its capability and intent to inflict great harm around the globe," he said.
In an interview to the American forces press service, undersecretary of defence for policy Michele Flournoy said North Korea is the great disturber of the peace in Asia, and US officials at all levels are concerned about what is happening there.