Obama urges North Korea to change
Published:Thursday | November 19, 2009 | 2:04 PM
US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, have urged North Korea to return to international nuclear negotiations.
The two leaders, who spoke at a joint press conference in Seoul, promised the North major economic aid in return.
They also agreed to make progress on a free trade agreement signed in 2007, which has still not been ratified.
The BBC said the two leaders also reaffirmed their unity of view and approach on the North Korea issue.
They said they were seeking to break the pattern whereby the North would raise tensions, agree to talks and then back off without making progress.
The meeting came on the last day of Mr. Obama\'s Asian tour, which was designed to revive US diplomacy in the region.