Japan, S. Korea affirm cooperation on Pyongyang’s nuke, missile

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-se Thursday affirmed that they will continue to coordinate in dealing with North Korea, including on the nuclear and missile issues, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

During their talks in Tokyo, Hayashi and Kwon also shared a recognition that North Korea’s ballistic missiles launches with an unprecedented frequency and in unprecedented manners not only constitute a grave and imminent threat to the regional security but also pose a clear and serious challenge to the international community, the ministry said in a press release.

In addition, Hayashi sought continued understanding and cooperation for the immediate resolution of the abductions issue of Japanese nationals by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, and gained support from Kwon.

Kwon, who is in charge of relations with Pyongyang, is the first South Korean unification minister to visit Japan since 2005.

His trip came after a summit in Tokyo between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last week, in which the two leaders discussed ways to boost cooperation on wide-ranging issues.

Source: Kuwait News Agency