John Kerry meets South Korean president

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday met South Korean President Park Geun-hye to discuss bilateral relations amid escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Kerry arrived in Seoul on Sunday after briefly stopping in China, Xinhua reported.

Kerry's visit came amid growing tensions in the peninsula after North Korea successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

Kerry also met with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se to discuss the North Korea issue and preparations for President Park's visit to Washington scheduled for mid-June.