Obama Blasts North Korea in G20 Speech

Warns that the US 'will never waver' in defense of South
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 11, 2010 7:35 AM CST
Obama Blasts North Korea in G20 Speech
US President Barack Obama speaks as he and South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak, not in photo, hold a joint press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010.   (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

Barack Obama sent some pointed remarks North Korea’s way in his speech in Seoul today, saying that the difference between it and its less-oppressed Southern counterpart is “a contrast so stark you can see it from space, as the brilliant lights of Seoul give way to the utter darkness in the north.” He chastised the North for its isolationism, its attack on a South Korean naval ship, and its nuclear weapons program, Politico reports.

“Pyongyang should not be mistaken: The United States will never waver in our commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea,” Obama warned. “We will not waver.” He urged Pyongyang to “fulfill their international obligations” and return to the international fold. He also praised a group of Korean War veterans, there commemorating the 60th anniversary of what’s sometimes called “the Forgotten War.” Obama rejected that label. “Today I want you to know this: We remember,” he said. (More South Korea stories.)

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