South Korea's Park says door not shut on dialogue with North

SouthKoreanPresidentParkGeun-hyedeliversaspeechduringaceremonytomarktheanniversaryofthe1919independencemovementagainstJapaneseruleovertheKoreanpeninsula,inSeoulMarch1,2016.REUTERS/JUNGYEON-JE/POOL

(REUTERS) SeoulwillnotshutthedoortodialoguewithNorthKorea,SouthKoreanPresidentParkGeun-hyesaidonTuesday,butwarnedthatPyongyang,facingnewU.N.sanctions,wouldbesubjecttoevengreaterpressureaslongasitstucktoitsnuclearprogram.

TheU.N.SecurityCouncilisexpectedtovotesoononaresolutiondraftedbytheUnitedStatesandbackedbyChina,theNorth'smainally,aimedatpunishingPyongyangforitsrecentnucleartestandlong-rangerocketlaunch.

"Thegovernmentwillnotshutthedoorondialogue,butaslongastheNorthdoesn'tshowthewilltodenuclearizeandrefusestochange,pressurefromusandtheinternationalcommunitywillcontinue,"Parksaid.