PRECIOUS-Gold steady on geopolitical worries amid firmer dollar

April 20 (Reuters) - Gold held firm on Thursday, after falling as much as 1 percent the previous day, as tensions surrounding North Korea and the upcoming French presidential election offered support to the safe-haven asset amid a firmer dollar. FUNDAMENTALS * Spot gold was up 0.1 percent at $1,280 per ounce as of 0107 GMT. The metal fell 0.8 percent on Wednesday, its worst one-day drop in over a month. * U.S. gold futures were down 0.2 percent at $1,281.30 *