Park-Obama summit draws opposition in SKorea

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

Presidents Park Geun-hye and Barack Obama came under criticism in South Korea on Saturday for failing to make more headway during summit talks on North Korea hours earlier in the United States.

Pyongyang has consistently ignored United Nations resolutions by pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, as demonstrated by a vast military parade earlier this month.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently admitted that the current policy of imposing economic sanctions might not be sufficient in handling the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

After Friday's summit in Washington between the leaders of South Korea and the U.S., they issued a joint statement on the North.

According to the release, Park and Obama agreed "to address the North Korean nuclear problem with utmost urgency and determination."

They also warned that another rocket launch or nuclear test by the North would lead to "further significant measures by the U.N. Security Council."

While Pyongyang's traditional ally China is seen as being key to bringing North Korea back to denuclearization talks, it was still unclear after their meeting how Park and Obama would achieve that even with Beijing's support.

South Korea's main opposition NPAD responded by calling via a spokesperson for "more creative suggestions on ways to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue" -- the South's major liberal party is associated with the only inter-Korean summits to have ever taken place, in 2000 and 2007.

The NPAD also lashed out at Park's failure to convince the U.S. to unveil technological secrets as Seoul pushes to develop a new wave of indigenous fighter jets.

Despite domestic efforts to pick apart Friday's talks, this week the South Korean president hailed ties with Washington as being the world's "strongest alliance."

Indeed, on Thursday Park did become the first president from her country to be graced with a "full honor parade" at the Pentagon.

She also gained Obama's public blessing to strengthen relations with Beijing -- the American president answered doubters by insisting that Seoul's friendships with both China and the U.S. could be "compatible."

If the past is anything to go by -- and it usually is where Pyongyang is concerned -- a North Korean challenge can be expected in the near future.