(dpa/GNA) – Japan, South Korea and the United States agreed in Seoul on Wednesday to ramp up pressure and sanctions on North Korea amid growing concern of Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programmes, a report said.
The three countries acknowledged that advancement in the North’s nuclear capability is “serious” and shared a “sense of urgency” in addressing the problem, Yonhap News agency reported.
They also “agreed to put stronger pressure [on North Korea] and make active efforts for dialogue,” Hwang Joon Kook, a South Korean diplomat in charge of North Korea affairs, told reporters, Yonhap said.
The first trilateral meeting in four months came as North Korea has refused to return to the negotiating table and instead continued issuing belligerent statements.
Last week, Pyongyang claimed the successful test-launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine and significant progress in miniaturizing nuclear weapons.
The reclusive regime also reportedly executed Defence Minister Hyon Yong Chol for alleged insubordination.
Hwang and his US and Japanese counterparts – Sung Kim and Junichi Ihara – agreed on the “seriousness in advancement in North Korea’s nuclear capability,” Yonhap said.
Hwang warned North Korea that it will face more international pressure if it stays on the current course, the report said.
“North Korea’s diplomatic and economic isolation will deepen,” he said.
The South Korean envoy added that the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the “closest possible trilateral coordination” on North Korea.
The three countries, China, Russia and North Korea are members of the six-way talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
Ihara said the three parties, based on the “sense of urgency,” had in-depth discussions on ways to handle North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
GNA
