SEOUL, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. diplomatic chief in Seoul Thursday pledged to defend South Korea from any possible nuclear attack from North Korea.
In a press conference, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said her Seoul trip was aimed at reconfirming the U.S. commitment to defending South Korea.
"The alliance between the United States and South Korea is one of the firm pillars for security in the Korean peninsula and in the region," Rice said, standing beside South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who was recently elected as the next head of the United Nations.
"The United States takes its obligations under our defense arrangement very seriously and will act on those obligations," she said.
Rice also warned North Korea against conducting further nuclear tests and trafficking nuclear weapons materials, saying it would lead to grave consequences.
She called for worldwide efforts to keep "North Korea from trafficking in nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons technology, financing their programs and receiving support for those programs."
