North Korea Response: What Can The United States Do?

May 26, 2009— -- President Obama's pledge to more aggressively pursue diplomatic solutions to world challenges is being put to the test by North Korea, a country that has long defied the United States and the international community, which tested its biggest nuclear bomb yet on Monday and fired short range missiles Tuesday off its east coast, according to local media reports.

"Our army and people are fully ready for battle... against any reckless U.S. attempt for a pre-emptive attack," North Korea's government said through the state-run KCNA news agency. "It is clear that nothing has changed in the U.S. hostile policy against DPRK (North Korea)... even under the new U.S. administration."

Monday night, senior administration officials sat in the White House's Situation room, debating late into the night about what steps the United States should take now.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said the rogue regime, which has for a long time been isolated from the international community -- as well as neighbors and U.S. allies South Korea and Japan -- will only face further condemnation.

"We have Russia and China that have stepped in and together we have increased the pressure," Rice said on "Good Morning America." "Together we're going to increase pressure and concerted efforts to try and prevent North Korea from pursuing arms."

North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test, and three short-range missile on its east coast. Reports overnight said the country tested two more short-range missiles with a range of about 80 kilometers. On Tuesday or Wednesday, the country could test fire another missile off of its west coast.

Obama has long said that dialogue with U.S. foes is more effective than harsh words, but the tests this weekend indicated that at least so far words have meant nothing to Kim Jong-Il and his regime.

"North Korea's nuclear ballistic missile programs pose a great threat to the peace and security of the world and I strongly condemn their reckless action," President Obama said on Monday. "North Korea's actions endanger the people of Northeast Asia, they are a blatant violation of international law, and they contradict North Korea's own prior commitments."

He called on the international community to "take action in response," starting with action from the United Nations.

"We will work with our friends and our allies to stand up to this behavior and we will redouble our efforts toward a more robust international nonproliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet," the president said.