N. Korea warned of serious consequences

South Korea and the United States warned North Korea on Wednesday that the communist regime will face "serious consequences" if it makes further provocations following the regime's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, Yonhap News reported.

The two countries also urged the North to abandon its nuclear programs and show "genuine will for denuclearization with concrete actions," according to a joint statement issued after unprecedented high-level security talks that brought together the foreign and defense ministers of the two allies.

"The ministers urged North Korea to take responsibility for the attack" on the South Korean warship Cheonan, the statement said. "They also called upon North Korea to refrain from further attacks or hostilities against the ROK and underscored that there would be serious consequences for any such irresponsible behavior."

The ship sinking, which left 46 sailors dead, has been the dominant security issue in the region for months, completely overshadowing international efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear programs.

Pyongyang has denied any role in the ship attack. But after the U.N. Security Council issued a mild rebuke over the sinking, the North has been making a series of conciliatory moves, including expressing its willingness to return to the stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

South Korea, however, views Pyongyang's outreach as a ploy to duck responsibility for the sinking, and has urged the North to show sincere willingness to give up its nuclear programs if it wants to reopen the stalled nuclear talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.

"The ministers urged North Korea to abandon all its nuclear programs and its pursuit of nuclear weapons in a complete and verifiable manner, and to demonstrate its genuine will for denuclearization with concrete actions," the joint statement said.