WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says President Barack Obama "fully supports" the South Korean president and his response to the torpedo attack by North Korea that killed 46 South Korean sailors.

In a statement released early Monday, the White House said Seoul can continue to count on the full support of the United States.

The White House says the Obama administration endorses President Lee Myung-bak's demand that North Korea immediately apologize and punish those responsible for the attack and stop its belligerent and threatening behavior.

The March sinking of the Cheonan, allegedly by North Korea, was the South's worst military disaster since the Korean War.

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