Obama to visit Korea DMZ on Sunday

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, seeking to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its atomic weapons, will visit the Demilitarized Zone on South Korea's border on Sunday before a nuclear security summit in Seoul.

According to the White House Obama's visit will be a show of strong support for South Korea and Obama will meet with U.S. troops at the DMZ during the trip, his third to South Korea in the last three years.

 Mr Obama, who is expected to renew pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions, will also meet South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak ahead of the summit starting on Monday. 

The three-day Nuclear Security Summit involves more than 53 leaders from nations and international organisations.

Mr Obama is also due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and is widely expected to urge him to draw on Beijing's influence for nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang

Posted in: Asia,US