WASHINGTON, May 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday she would fully trust an assessment and response by her troops in case of a future North Korean provocation.

   "If North Korea engages in provocation, I will fully trust the judgment of our military," Park said during a joint press conference with U.S. President Barack Obama after their summit talks at the White House.

   "So if our military makes a judgment which they feel is the right thing, that they should act accordingly. And this is the instruction that I had made," she added.

   Park reaffirmed that Seoul would make Pyongyang pay the price for any provocations.

   Park emphasized that the North will have to make a right choice as early as possible, as the South is ready for inter-Korean talks and cooperation.

   "We also shared the view that realizing President Obama's vision of a world without nuclear weapons should start in the Korean Peninsula," Park said.

   Obama said he agrees with Park's approach toward North Korea revolving around a vision of bringing peace and stability to the peninsula through a process of building mutual trust.

   "President Park's approach is very compatible with my approach and the approach that we have been taking together for several years now," Obama said.

  
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