Former U.S. President George W. Bush has urged the five nationsinvolved in nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea to send a clearmessage to Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program.
Mr.Bush spoke at an economic forum on the South Korean island of JejuSaturday. He said the United States, South Korea, China, Japan andRussia must make it clear that North Korea will face consequences if itcontinues to defy United Nations resolutions.
The former U.S. president also stressed the importance of transparency and verification in the nuclear disarmament process.
Thelast round of six-party disarmament talks in China in December endedwith an impasse over how the North's denuclearization would beverified. Since then, Pyongyang has conducted a nuclear test and aseries of missile launches. Its provocative actions against SouthKorea have raised international concern about the region's stability.
The United Nations imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea in June.
TheUnited States is taking steps to ensure the sanctions are implemented. It has frozen the assets of a number of business and financialinstitution dealing with North Korea. A spokesman for the U.S. StateDepartment said Friday the U.S. is also considering returning the Northto its list of states that sponsor terrorism.
Washington hasoffered the North a comprehensive package of incentives if it takesserious and irreversible steps to end its nuclear program.
Mr.Bush is in South Korea for a series of talks on the global economy. Heis expected to promote measures against trade protectionism and theSouth Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. The agreement was signed in2007 while he was in office, but has yet to be approved by lawmakers inboth countries.