Obama says U.S., Japan agree on strengthening defense against N.K. threats

TOKYO/ISESHIMA, Japan, May 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday he has agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to strengthen defense capabilities against threats posed by North Korea.

Obama made the remark during a joint press conference in Japan after holding a summit meeting with his Japanese counterpart. The two leaders talked for little over an hour.

Later this week, Obama will make a historic visit to the Japanese city of Hiroshima. He earlier said it is to demonstrate his commitment to a nuclear-free world.

Obama will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima since the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb there at the end of World War II. White House officials said Obama will use the visit to highlight his commitment to a world without nuclear weapons and to honor the memory of all the innocent lives that were lost during the war.
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