S. Korea, US, Japan vow to step up cooperation against NK missile threats

Published : Sept 1, 2017 - 11:44 Updated : Sept 1, 2017 - 11:44

South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed Friday to bolster their defense cooperation to better respond to North Korea's threats following Pyongyang's recent firing of a missile over Japan.

In a three-way video conference, working-level defense officials concurred that North Korea's missile launch is an "unprecedented, grave" threat to regional peace and stability, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

The talks involved Brig. Gen. Park Chul-kyun, deputy director general for international policy at the South Korean ministry; Andrew Winternitz, US acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia; and Taro Yamato, director for defense policy at Japan's defense ministry.

This photo released by North Korea`s state news agency on Aug. 30, 2017, shows North Korea`s firing of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which flew over Japan a day earlier. (Yonhap)

North Korea on Tuesday fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which crossed over Japan and fell into the northern Pacific Ocean.

"The officials agreed to work together with the international community in pressuring the North to end its nuclear and missile programs," the ministry said. "The US also reaffirmed its ironclad commitment to defending the Asian allies of South Korea and Japan." (Yonhap)