President Bush says he is seeking a unified stance with other world leaders to diplomatically solve the standoff with North Korea following its Wednesday missile tests.
Mr. Bush says he discussed the situation with the leaders of Japan, Russia, China and South Korea. He says the international community should tell North Korea there is better way forward than isolating itself from the world.
Mr. Bush says one way to persuade North Korea to adhere to international standards is through the U.N. Security Council. The Council is debating a Japanese draft resolution on the matter. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton says there is overwhelming support to issue a strong statement of condemnation of the missile tests.
North Korea says the tests were successful and that it will carry out more launches. But the U.S. Department of Defense says none of the seven missiles fired in the tests posed any threat to the United States. It says the one long-range missile failed less than a minute after launch.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry says its top negotiator on the North Korean nuclear standoff, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, is going to Pyongyang next week.
South Korea's Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok says Seoul plans to keep inter-Korean projects intact, despite the missile launches.
The top U.S. envoy to the North Korean nuclear talks, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, is heading to Asia for talks in Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
