US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host a meeting with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts next week to discuss the tension over North Korea, the State Department said Wednesday, dpa reported.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara will sit down with Clinton in Washington on Monday to demonstrate "the extraordinarily close coordination" between the three countries on maintaining security in the region.
The United States and South Korea completed four days of joint naval exercises off the Korean peninsula to show a willingness to respond with force to what they see as Pyonyang's provocative acts.
North Korean artillery bombarded a South Korean island near the disputed maritime border on November 23, killing two soldiers and two civilians and wounding more than a dozen others, in a move that sparked worries of renewed hostilities.
The United States, European Union as well as other countries sharply condemned North Korea for the assault, and South Korea has threatened to retaliate to any further attacks.
North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Il in late September elevated his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to two top positions in the ruling Workers' Party, an indication that he is the chosen heir.
Meanwhile, South Korea's top intelligence official said in Seoul Wednesday that he expects more attacks from North Korea, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Clinton to consult with Asian allies on North Korea
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host a meeting with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts next week to discuss the tension over North Korea, the State Department said Wednesday, dpa reported.
