LOS CABOS (Mexico), Oct 26: Leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea warned North Korea in a joint statement on Saturday it must scrap its nuclear arms programme “in a prompt and verifiable manner”.

“North Korea’s relations with the international community now rest on North Korea’s prompt and visible actions to dismantle its programme to produce highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons,” they said.

The White House released the statement after US President George W. Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung to discuss Pyongyang’s bombshell revelation that it has been seeking nuclear weapons in violation of international accords.

The statement gave no specific indication of what consequences North Korea would face if it refused.

But “the three leaders called upon North Korea to dismantle this programme in a prompt and verifiable manner and to come into full compliance with all its international commitments,” according to the statement.—AFP