South Korea says working with U.S., Japan on 'strong' North Korea sanctions

South Korean President Park Geun-hye answers questions from reporters during her New Year news conference at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, January 13, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye spoke with U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, agreeing to work for "strong and effective" U.N. sanctions against North Korea following its weekend rocket launch.

North Korea says it put a satellite into orbit on Sunday, but the United States and its allies see the launch as cover for Pyongyang's development of ballistic missile technology that could be used to deliver a nuclear weapon across the Pacific Ocean.