SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak warned Friday that North Korea will undermine its own regime if it continues to build weapons with its scarce resources.

   The warning comes as South Korea scrambles to deal with North Korea's third nuclear test, which the communist country carried out Tuesday in defiance of international demands to drop the plan.

   "If North Korea continues to waste its budget on developing military weapons, it will become difficult to maintain its regime," Lee was quoted as saying by presidential spokeswoman Lee Mi-yon.

   The president held a breakfast meeting at the presidential office with a group of foreign policy and security advisers, including former senior government officials and academics.

   During the meeting, participants expressed the view that U.N. sanctions alone will not solve the North's nuclear issue, saying change from within the communist regime and reunification with the South are fundamental solutions to the problem, according to the spokeswoman.

   hague@yna.co.kr
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