US allies and rivals in Asia gauge fallout from war in the Middle East

President Donald Trump, left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the North Korean side of the border at the village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone, June 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As war spreads across the Middle East, U.S. rivals and allies in Asia are preparing for the consequences, which include possible economic shock and long-term security threats.

Here's a look at how the fighting in the Middle East is impacting the Koreas, Japan and China.

North Korea

At a major political conference last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un insisted the country’s decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons was the “correct” choice, despite crippling isolation and scarce resources.

The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran will only reinforce that belief.

North Korea’s leadership likely watched uneasily as the strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader. The attack followed a U.S.

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