Obama considers visiting DMZ during trip to S. Korea this month: source

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama is considering visiting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the Korean Peninsula during his trip to South Korea later this month to attend a nuclear security summit, a diplomatic source in Seoul said Monday. Obama plans to make a three-day visit to South Korea from March 25 to join the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul and is likely to visit the DMZ on March 27 before heading home, the source said on the condition of anonymity. If confirmed, it would be the first time Obama visits the DMZ, which separates the two Koreas. The South Korean Army maintains a force of 650,000, and is supported by some 28,500 U.S. troops, along the tense border, while the North has 1.1 million soldiers. South Korea is set to host the March 26-27 Nuclear Security Summit, with about 50 world leaders, including Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, expected to attend. Officials at the U.S. embassy in Seoul were not immediately available for comment. Since the December death of North Korea's longtime ruler Kim Jong-il, his youngest son Jong-un, believed to be in his late 20s, has appeared to be concentrating on consolidating the power he inherited from his late father, but many experts have raised concerns about whether the untested leader will continue to lead the North in the long term. Last month, North Korea and the U.S. announced a surprise deal that raised hopes of a resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks, involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia. The multilateral talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program have been stalled since the last round in late 2008. Under the deal, Pyongyang agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program and nuclear and missile tests in return for massive U.S. food aid. The two Koreas are still technically at war since the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended in a fragile cease-fire, not a peace treaty. Inter-Korean tensions remain high following two deadly military attacks by the North in 2010 that killed a total of 50 South Koreans, mostly soldiers. (END)