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Obama, Asian leaders to huddle on North Korea nuclear threat

In this photo taken Nov. 30, 2015, President Barack Obama meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Le Bourget, France. President Barack Obama will be meeting with Asian leaders in Washington this week as fears grow that long-smoldering tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea could flare into conflict. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In this photo taken Nov. 30, 2015, President Barack Obama meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Le Bourget, France. President Barack Obama will be meeting with Asian leaders in Washington this week as fears grow that long-smoldering tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the South China Sea could flare into conflict. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

By Associated Press March 31, 2016 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Working to display a united front, the United States and key Asian countries are seeking to put more pressure on North Korea as world leaders open a nuclear security summit in Washington.

President Barack Obama will meet Thursday morning with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh ah-bay) and South Korean President Park Geun-hye (goon-hay), two U.S. allies deeply concerned about North Korea. He’ll also try to smooth over tensions with China over cybersecurity and maritime disputes when he holds a separate meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng).

Though nuclear terrorism and the Islamic State group top the agenda, concerns about North Korea’s nuclear weapons program are also commanding focus. Those long-simmering concerns have escalated of late following the North’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch.