WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump spoke Monday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and sought to ratchet up pressure on North Korea following its test of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb over the weekend, the White House said.
Trump also raised North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in a Labor Day call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He spoke Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The White House said Trump gave his approval in principle to South Korea's initiative to lift restrictions on its missile payload capabilities. He also gave "conceptual approval" for Seoul to purchase "many billions of dollars" of U.S. military hardware, it said.
"Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses to the entire world" and "agreed to maximize pressure on North Korea using all means at their disposal," the announcement said.
The two leaders also pledged to strengthen their countries' joint military capabilities, it said.
In his call with Merkel, the two leaders condemned North Korea's continued reckless and dangerous behavior and reaffirmed the importance of close coordination at the United Nations, the White House said in a separate statement.
"All options to address the North Korean threat are on the table," the second statement said.
