FMs of S. Korea, Japan agree to cooperate on disarming N. Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart agreed Wednesday to work closely together toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea, Yonhap reported.

The agreement was made during the new foreign minister's first phone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida held earlier in the day, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Both ministers shared grave concerns over North Korea's continuing provocations," the ministry said of the 20-minute talks.

"They agreed to cooperate closely under the framework of South Korea-Japan and South Korea-US-Japan collaboration, to attain their common goal of completely denuclearizing North Korea through all means possible, including sanctions and dialogue."

The top diplomat also concurred that the two countries are close neighbors that share basic values and strategic interest, reaffirming their determination to drive the bilateral relationship in a forward-looking manner.

They also promised to meet up in the near future to hold consultations more in detail.

Source: MENA