Lee, Obama vow joint steps on North Korean nukes

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to "work closely together, including at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), to seek a range of measures aimed at impeding North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reducing the risk of proliferation," the White House said.

In a phone conversation with Lee on Feb. 12 (Washington time), Obama reaffirmed that "the United States remains steadfast in its defense commitments to the Republic of Korea, including the extended deterrence offered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella," the White House said in a press release. The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name.

The Lee-Obama talks came as the UNSC began discussions on ways to cope with a nuclear test North Korea conducted a day earlier in violation of U.N. resolutions.

In New York, the UNSC held an emergency meeting and strongly condemned the North Korean nuclear test.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com