Video: Politics

video transcript

After meeting with leaders in South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Pyongyang to adopt a new posture. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING: "The rhetoric we are hearing from North Korea are simply unacceptable, by any standard." North Korea has issued weeks of warnings including pledges to wage thermonuclear war. Against this backdrop Kerry says it would be a mistake for North Korea to launch a medium-range missile. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING: "I would say ahead of time, that it is a huge mistake for him to choose to do that because it will further isolate his country and further isolate his people who frankly are desperate for food, not missile launches." At a separate news conference ahead of his trip to China Kerry also called on Beijing for a stronger stance towards Pyongyang. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAYING: "If your policy is denuclearization, and it is theirs as it is ours as it is everybody's, except for the North at this moment, if that's your policy, you got to put some teeth into it." Kerry's visit coincides with preparations for Monday's anniversary of North Korean state founder Kim Il-Sung's birth date, a possible pretext for a show of strength.