SOUTH KOREA SAYS THE NEW US ELECTED PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS AWARE OF 'URGENCY' OF NUCLEAR

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Trump's comment, his first mention of the North Korean nuclear issue since the U.S. election in November, could be interpreted as a "clear warning" to the North.

"Because of our active outreach, President-elect Trump and U.S. officials are clearly aware of the gravity and urgency of the North Korean nuclear threat," ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said at a briefing.

"They are maintaining an unwavering stance on the need for sanctions on North Korea and for close cooperation between South Korea and the U.S."

Trump has not outlined a policy on North Korea but during the U.S. election campaign indicated he would be willing to talk its leader, Kim, given the opportunity.Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway told ABC's "Good Morning America" program that the president-elect was "putting North Korea on notice through this tweet and through other statements that this won't happen.""He as president of the United States wants to stand between them and their missile capabilities, which experts say could be deployed to reach Seattle almost immediately," Conway said.She said Trump had not publicly stated how he might respond to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs and "won't before he's inaugurated.""We do know that there are sanctions that are possible," Conway said. "They haven't always worked. I think that China would have to have a significant role here as well."Trump has been critical of China over the issue. On Monday, he said China had benefited from its economic ties with the United States but would not use its influence to help control North Korea.Responding to the comment, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had been pushing for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula."China's efforts in this regard are perfectly obvious," Geng told a news briefing. "As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council we have proactively participated in relevant discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue and have jointly passed several resolutions with other parties."This shows China's responsible attitude."The United States has for years dismissed North Korean calls for talks, insisting it must disarm first.Instead, the United States and ally South Korea have responded to two North Korean nuclear tests and various missile tests last year with ever-more severe sanctions.

The U.N. Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea at the end of November after Pyongyang carried out its fifth and largest nuclear test so far in September.A North Korean ICBM, once fully developed, could threaten the continental United States, which is about 9,000 km (5,500 miles) from the North.ICBMs have a minimum range of about 5,500 km (3,400 miles), but some are designed to travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) or further.North Korea worked last year on developing components for an ICBM, saying it was close to a test-launch plausible, international weapons experts said on last Monday.

Pablo Marin-

International Executive Director /

The Mariana DAngelo Editorial Group