South Korea officially referred North Korea to the Security Council today over the sinking of a navy ship that killed 46 sailors and urged the U.N.'s most powerful body to take action, according to AP. South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Park In-kook handed over a letter to Mexico's U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller, the current Security Council president, asking for a response. Heller said he will circulate it to the 14 other council members and then initiate consultations on a reply. Despite a history of animosity, South Korea's decision to seek council action was the strongest step ever toward making Pyongyang face international punishment. The letter was delivered hours after South Korea's president, in a hard-hitting speech bereft of diplomatic politeness, called North Korea a liar and a threat to Northeast Asia. «North Korea must admit its wrongdoing» and «pledge to never again engage in such a reprehensible action,» President Lee Myung-bak said. «If the enemy continues to taunt us and think that they can do whatever they want they must understand that there is a limit.» They «must understand very clearly that they will have to suffer the consequences.» Lee, who was addressing Asia-Pacific defense ministers including U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, called for international support to act against North Korea and its secret nuclear weapons program. The Security Council has several choices, a resolution with or without new sanctions against North Korea, a weaker presidential statement calling for specific actions, or a press statement.
