Barack Obama to meet South Korea, Japan leaders to discuss North Korea

Washington: US President Barack Obama would hold a trilateral meeting with leaders of South Korea and Japan on March 31 to discuss the threat posed by North Korea on the sidelines of Nuclear Security Summit, the White House has said.

"On March 31st, the President will host President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan for a trilateral meeting on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday.

"This meeting will be an opportunity for the three leaders to discuss common responses to the threat posed by North Korea and to advance areas of trilateral security cooperation in the region and globally," he said.

Obama would also be meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit.

Heads of States of nearly 24 countries are attending the two-day National Security Summit on March 31 and April 1 including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No bilateral meeting between the two leaders have been announced so far.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cancelled his visit to Washington as a result of the Lahore terrorist attack that killed more than 70 people on Sunday.