Obama Meets With South Korea's President To Talk North Korea

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

G20 Agree To End Tax Havens and So Much More

While the media continues their negative coverage of the G20, it looks as though the global leaders got down to business, just as Geithner predicted yesterday. Now, let's hope it sticks.

Leaders agree to fund the International Monetary Fund:

BBC: To help countries with troubled economies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will get extra resources worth up to $750bn.
There will also be sanctions against secretive tax havens and tougher global financial regulation.
And the G20 has committed about $250bn to boost global trade.
....
On behalf of the G20, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the following steps:
Bankers' pay and bonuses will be subject to stricter controls
A new Financial Stability Board will be set up to work with the IMF to ensure co-operation across borders and provide an early warning mechanism for the financial system
There will be greater regulation of hedge funds and credit ratings agencies
A common approach to cleaning up banks' toxic assets has been agreed
The world's poorest countries will receive $100bn extra aid
G20 countries are already implementing the biggest economic stimulus "the world has ever seen" - an injection of $5tn by the end of next year.