Mar 24 (NHK) - The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea have strongly condemned North Korea's test-firing on Thursday of what the North says is a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and his South Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-yong, talked by phone on Friday morning.
Chung denounced the latest of North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches.
The two agreed that North Korea's strengthening of its nuclear and missile development programs poses a deliberate and grave challenge for the international community.
They confirmed that in order to denuclearize North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions, Japan and South Korea will coordinate closely, as well as with the United States, in dealing with the North's attempts.
Hayashi told reporters he had also confirmed close policy coordination between Japan and the United States in his phone talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday.
Hayashi added that he will also coordinate views with other partners that share Japan's stance.
Source: ANNnewsCH
