President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama have agreed to increase their cooperation for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

In a joint news conference held after their summit in Washington, Lee and Obama said Wednesday that under no circumstance will Seoul and Washington allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons.

The two leaders also adopted a “Joint Vision for the Alliance of South Korea and the United States” that centers on expanding their two nations’ military alliance to a comprehensive, strategic alliance. Under the joint vision, Obama reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea by pledging to provide Seoul extended deterrence.

The two leaders also agreed to seek ways for the members of the six-way nuclear talks, with the exception of the North, to work closely to effectively pressure the communist state to denuclearize.

Lee and Obama agreed to work closely on key global issues, including terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and climate change.

On the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, Obama said he will seek the accord’s ratification at a time he believes will be of interest to the people of both nations.

Lee, on his part, urged North Korea to release two detained U.S. journalists in Pyongyang and a South Korean at an inter-Korean industrial park.

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