S. KOREAN, lawmakers get together.

WASHINGTON — South Korea’s president met with congressional leaders Thursday in advance of a White House dinner with President Donald Trump in an effort to reassure Washington he will coordinate closely on dealing with the threat from North Korea.

President Moon Jae-in has long advocated engagement with North Korea to address its nuclear weapons development. That contrasts with Trump, who wants to step up economic pressure and further isolate the North diplomatically.

The U.S. and South Korea want to show they are on the same page as concern deepens over North Korea’s technological progress toward a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the continental U.S., and over its lack of interest in negotiations aimed at dismantling its atomic arsenal.

“We have a lot to work together for,” Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said as top House lawmakers sat down with Moon on Capitol Hill. “We have shared concerns such as threats posed to both our nations from North Korea.”

Moon began his four-day visit, his first overseas trip since taking office last month, with a powerful symbolic show of his personal commitment to the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

He laid a wreath Wednesday at a memorial to Marines who fought in one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War, where a rearguard U.S. action enabled a mass evacuation of Korean civilians, including Moon’s parents.

Moon’s conservative predecessor, who was impeached in a bribery scandal, took a hard line toward North Korea. Moon has sought to allay concerns that his softer stance could open fissures with Washington. He says sanctions alone cannot solve the problem, but the “right conditions” are needed for dialogue.

China is pushing the United States to start negotiations with the North. That prospect appears unlikely as Trump grows frustrated over China’s level of economic pressure on the North, its wayward ally.

Moon also met with Senate leaders. There is strong congressional support for ratcheting up sanctions, including against Chinese banks and companies that deal with North Korea.

At the White House, Trump and first lady Melania Trump were preparing to host Moon and South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook for dinner, in what would be the first meeting between Trump and Moon. They planned formal talks today.

Addressing U.S. business leaders Wednesday, Moon called for further expansion of job-creating economic ties between the allies, which adopted a free trade agreement in 2012. He even looked forward to a time when peace on the divided Korean Peninsula would open up business opportunities in North Korea.