U.S. consulting allies after reports of North Korea execution

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is consulting Asian allies about reports that the uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was executed, a White House official said. North Korea said on Friday that Jang Song Thaek, Kim's uncle and previously considered the second most powerful man in the secretive state, has been executed after a special military tribunal found him guilty of treason. "If confirmed, this is another example of the extreme brutality of the North Korean regime," said Patrick Ventrell, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council. "We are following developments in North Korea closely and consulting with our allies and partners in the region," he said. (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Sandra Maler)