US, N. Korea have rare face-to-face meet at Asian summit; expected to battle over ship sinking

US, South Korea enter showdown with North Korea

HANOI, Vietnam — Reclusive North Korea’s top diplomat is set for a rare face-to-face showdown with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at an Asian security meeting.

Friday’s summit in the Vietnamese capital is expected to become a diplomatic battleground following the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors four months ago.

The North has denied responsibility. But the U.S. and South Korea have blamed Pyongyang and are demanding an apology, dooming any prospects of a breakthrough to help ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.

A day earlier, North Korea warned the U.S. to back off its plans impose fresh sanctions and hold joint naval exercises this weekend with South Korea, saying they were hostile actions that could endanger the whole region.