Park Geun-hye

President Park Geun-hye is hoping to visit Washington around April to meet with her U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, government officials said Wednesday.

They said the two leaders need to discuss their North Korea policy "based on a firm bilateral alliance" now the North is threatening another round of provocations.

Park is also pushing for a trilateral summit and separate meetings with Chinese and Japanese leaders in Seoul in May. This year it is Seoul's turn to host the regular trilateral summit.

A government official told the Chosun Ilbo that Seoul is consulting with Washington over Park's possible visit to Washington "prior to a Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo summit in May. We'll fix the date and make an announcement soon," he said.

Another government official also said, "Park needs to meet Obama soon in light of the possible provocations from the North. She also needs to visit Washington first to dispel worries that she is closer to Beijing than to Washington."

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