White House spurns N. Korea's call for halt to military drills

The White House on Thursday dismissed North Korea's call for the cancellation of upcoming joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea.

"I can tell you that our commitment to and relationship with South Korea is extremely strong and I have no changes to announce in how we engage militarily with South Korea in partnership or in any of the exercises that we engage in," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

He was answering a question about the North's demand earlier this week that the South and the U.S. cancel annual military drills to take place on and near the peninsula in February and March.

Regarding the Obama administration's policy on North Korea, Carney said there is no change.

"Our view is that North Korea needs to avail itself of the opportunity to end its isolation in the world by coming into compliance with its international obligations, by ceasing to violate a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and our posture remains the same," he said. (Yonhap News)