The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair has spoken of the "urgency" of resolving the issue of North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons programme.
But he said the country was in a different category to Saddam Hussain's regime in Iraq.
He insisted he hoped for a peaceful solution through multi-lateral talks involving North Korea, China, America and then Japan and South Korea.
Mr Blair's comment came in Seoul, South Korea where he was having talks with President Roh on the latest leg of his marathon round-the-world diplomatic mission which was to take him on to China later today.
Mr Blair told reporters: "What's different from Iraq is there is not the history of United Nations resolutions and the use of weapons of mass destruction, which there was with Saddam.
"But let's not be in any doubt at all. This issue has to be dealt with."