US President Barack Obama warned North Korea yesterday that its “bad behaviour” would be thwarted and the country would only deepen its isolation if it carried out a planned rocket launch.

North Korea will achieve nothing by threats or by provocation

“North Korea will achieve nothing by threats or by provocations,” Mr Obama said in a joint news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak on the eve of a nuclear security summit in Seoul.Mr Obama vowed to thwart North Korea’s “bad behaviour” and “pattern of provocation”.

Mr Lee also said he and Mr Obama agreed that the long-range rocket launch planned for next month would be “a provocative action that threatens global peace and is against UN resolutions.

“President Obama and I have agreed to respond sternly to any provocations and threats by the North and to continually enhance the firm South Korea-US defence readiness,” Mr Lee said.

The North has announced it will fire the rocket to put a satellite into orbit between April 12-16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding president Kim Il-Sung.

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