North Korea should be punished, Clinton says

May 22, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Los Angeles Times

SEOUL, South Korea

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton opened a U.S. campaign Friday for international measures to punish North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship, but it was unclear how receptive Pyongyang’s benefactors in China — or even South Korea — would be.

Clinton began an Asian tour making clear that the Obama administration wants the United Nations to take action against North Korea for sinking the patrol boat Cheonan in March, killing 46 South Korean crew members.

South Korea said this week that a multinational investigation had concluded that North Korea fired a torpedo that sank the vessel.

“Let me be clear. This will not be, and cannot be, business as usual,” Clinton said. “There must be an international — not just a regional, but an international — response.”