• ASIA NEWS
• MAY 21, 2010, 6:50 A.M. ET
• By JAY SOLOMON 

U.S., Allies to Punish North Korea

 “This can not be business as usual,” “The evidence is overwhelming and condemning,” Mrs. Clinton said. “The U.S. strongly condemns this act of aggression.”

TOKYO—In her first public comments since a report blaming the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel, Hillary Clinton issued a tough warning to North Korea, saying the Obama administration would work with regional powers in the coming days to punish Pyongyang.

The U.S. secretary of state didn’t specify the actions she expected Washington and allies to take, but suggested it could be another round of financial penalties against Pyongyang.

“This can not be business as usual,” Mrs. Clinton said during a press conference in Tokyo with her Japanese counterpart, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada. “There must be an international response.”

Mrs. Clinton strongly backed the South Korean investigation unveiled this week that found the North ordered the torpedo attack on the South Korean vessel, the Cheonan, in late March, leaving 46 soldiers dead.

“The evidence is overwhelming and condemning,” Mrs. Clinton said. “The U.S. strongly condemns this act of aggression.”

Mrs. Clinton’s brief visit to Japan is part of the secretary’s three-nation regional tour that is expected to focus heavily forging a regional response to the Cheonan incident.

The American diplomat will travel to China Friday night to take part in a U.S.-China strategic dialogue and to visit Shanghai’s global trade expo. She’ll then visit Seoul, South Korea next week.

Mr. Okada joined Mrs. Clinton in condemning the North Korean attack and stressed the two countries must coordinate closely in fashioning a response. “Coordination…is important,” Mr. Okada said.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Okada also said they hope to reach consensus by the end of the month on the future status of U.S. Marines stationed at the Futenma base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

The two allies have been a loggerheads over the siting of the base. The dispute has created new frictions in the alliance, and threatens to undermine Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s fragile hold on power.

Negotiators from the two countries continued to hold meetings this week in Japan. Mr. Okada said his government is confident it can meet its end-of-May deadline for outlining the terms for a new agreement with the U.S. for the use of the base.

And Japan’s foreign minister said the recent North Korean attack gave new urgency to the resolution of the matter. “In the current environment, the presence of U.S. forces is indispensable” for regional security, Mr. Okada said.

Write to Jay Solomon at jay.solomon@wsj.com