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.

"Given the threat from North Korea, we agreed to continue reinforcing deterrence and strengthening our defense capabilities," Obama said.

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.

"Our visit to Hiroshima will honor all of those who were lost in World War II and reaffirm our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons, as well as highlight the extraordinary alliance that we have been able to forge over these many decades," Obama said. (Yonhap)