President Park Geun-hye met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on North Korea and bilateral issues Monday, an official said, amid growing threats from the communist nation.

The presidential official did not give any further details.

Kerry was to meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se later in the day.

Kerry flew into Seoul on Sunday afternoon from Beijing, where he voiced hope that a nuclear deal with Iran will send a positive message to North Korea.

In their talks, the second round this year, Yun and Kerry are expected to reaffirm that the allies are on the same page in dealing with Pyongyang.

They will also focus discussions on preparing for a summit between the leaders of the two nations in June, said officials here. Park plans to make an "official working visit" to Washington in mid-June for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Kerry also plans to visit the U.S. military base in Yongsan and deliver a lecture on cybersecurity at Korea University later in the day before heading back home.

The secretary's trip here is the first since February last year. (Yonhap)