Tokyo: Japan, the United States and South Korea on Wednesday agreed to boost the deterrence of the Japan-U.S. and U.S.-South Korea alliances amid concerns that North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test.

In a meeting in Tokyo, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong also confirmed that the three nations will enhance their security cooperation.

The three officials discussed North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches from late September.

Criticizing North Korea’s nuclear and missile development as a clear and serious challenge to the international community, they agreed to enhance diplomatic cooperation to encourage the international community to increase pressure on North Korea, including through actions by the U.N. Security Council.

The three also affirmed that their countries will work together to resolve the issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago.

The previous in-person meeting of the three countries’ vice foreign minister-class officials was held in Seoul in June.

JIJI Press