MANILA: A senior US official says Washington will seek talks on how North Korea can be suspended from Asia's biggest security forum as part of a broader effort to isolate Pyongyang diplomatically and force it to end its missile tests and abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton told reporters in Washington yesterday that North Korea's actions have violated the conflict prevention aims of the ASEAN Regional Forum, which groups the United States and North Korea with 25 other countries.
Two Filipino officials tell The Associated Press that US officials have discussed such a prospect with Philippine officials, who told them it may be better to keep North Korea in the forum, where it can be persuaded to stop provocations through dialogue.