WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is arranging to hold a three-way meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha in mid-January, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

Along with the trilateral meeting, Pompeo is looking at holding bilateral talks with Motegi on the West Coast, according to the sources.

A meeting among the US, Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers was last held in August in Bangkok.

In the envisaged meetings, participants are expected to discuss  how to respond to rising tensions involving North Korea.

Pyongyang has unilaterally set a year-end deadline for its denuclearization negotiations with Washington, seeking US concessions.

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea has decided to strengthen the country's military power at an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission.

At a general meeting of the Central Committee to be called soon, the party is expected to discuss and make a decision on what it claims to be a serious issue.

Concerns are growing over a possible resumption of intercontinental ballistic missile test launches.

JIJI Press