North Korea is about to blast off a satellite between April 4-8. Obama met with South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak today to discuss:
The two leaders met at the ExCel Center, where the G-20 summit is being held. Thursday's all-day opening session is aimed at finalizing the summit's main goal -- a statement of unity by of heads of state in managing the global financial crisis.
Senior White House officials said Obama and Lee discussed the missile test that North Korea is expected to launch any day now, despite repeated protests by the United States, Japan and South Korea and disapproval from Russia and China.
While the reclusive North Korean government says the missile test is part of a peaceful research effort to put a communications satellite into orbit, experts outside the country say it is an effort to try out long-range missiles that could eventually be armed with nuclear warheads.
Obama expressed admiration for Lee's "calm resolve" as North Korea has prepared the launch and hurled invective at its neighbors, the senior official said. Obama told Lee North Korea "will not be able to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea" and said a launch would be a violation of Security Council resolutions. Read the rest at WaPo
