Kurt Campbell (above), the top US diplomat on Asia, admitted that little was known about North Korea's young supremo Kim Jong Un and warned that 'provocative steps have the risk of triggering deeply unforeseen consequences. -- PHOTO: AP
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Thursday urged China to press North Korea's new leader to exercise restraint, saying that South Korea would face 'enormous pressure' to respond to any provocations.
Kurt Campbell, the top US diplomat on Asia, admitted that little was known about North Korea's young supremo Kim Jong Un and warned that 'provocative steps have the risk of triggering deeply unforeseen consequences.'
'We need to handle the situation with the greatest care and we expect China in their deliberations with North Korea to ensure that that message is deeply understood,' Mr Campbell said at the Stimson Center think-tank, echoing remarks made on a tour of East Asia earlier this month.
North Korea in 2010 shelled an island in the South and was accused of torpedoing a warship, incidents that killed 50 people and which some analysts saw as a way for young heir Kim to prove his mettle.
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