Allies may get tough on N Korea

THE US and its Asian allies could look at tougher responses should diplomacy fail to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme, officials at a security conference said at the weekend.

US defence secretary Robert Gates told his counterparts from South Korea and Japan that while diplomacy was preferred, other steps may be considered.

“Six party talks are the preferred course of diplomacy,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, referring to the defunct talks among the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the US to disarm the North.