In an effort to build pressure on the North Korea over its missile launch, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said a "strong" UN position on the Communist nation's rocket test would be the first step in the right direction.

However, she could not elaborate on what "strong" UN position means on the issue.

"It was, in our view, a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 1718. It's a provocative act that has grave implications. North Korea ignored its international obligations, rejected the unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," she told reporters after meeting her Norwegian counterpart.

Clinton said the US is actively engaged in consultations with its partners at the UN and members of the Security Council. She has already spoken to foreign ministers of the countries that participate in the Six-Party Talks.

"We know that working out the exact language is not easily done overnight, but we remain convinced that coming out with a strong position in the United Nations is the first and important step that we intend to take," she said.

Clinton said North Korea has to know that any efforts to obtain the objectives it set forth as desiring in the Six-Party Talks are put at jeopardy.

"But we're going to take this one step at a time, and right now our representative to the United Nations is involved in non stop discussions, as are myself and other members of this government, and we're not going to prejudge the outcome," she said.

... contd.