Japan, US, South Korea agree to cooperate on North Korea to halt provocation

Senior officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed to cooperate on preventing North Korea from conducting further provocative actions.

    The officials met in Tokyo on Wednesday, a day after the North reportedly failed to launch an intermediate-range Musudan missile, according to (NHK World).

    The meeting was the first of its kind among the three countries since North Korea's ruling Workers' Party held its first congress in 36 years in early May.

    Japan was represented by its Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau chief Kimihiro Ishikane, and the United States by special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim. South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, Kim Hong-kyun, also took part.

    The officials condemned the North's nuclear and missile programs as totally unacceptable. They also reaffirmed that their governments will refuse to talk with the North unless it makes clear a path to its denuclearization.

    Ishikane told reporters after the meeting that it is important to keep pressuring the North to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and denuclearize itself. He added that the three countries will also work with China and Russia on the matter.

Source: QNA