By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to work closely together to counter North Korea's possible provocations during a "sensitive time," Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid the chaos resulting from the failed martial law.
Cho Koo-rae, vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, shared the commitment with Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, during their talks in Tokyo, the ministry said in a release.
The bilateral meeting took place on the margins of their trilateral talks also involving the United States, which were held the previous day.
South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae; Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry; and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink (from R to L) pose for a photo ahead of their talks in Tokyo on Dec. 9, 2024, in this photo provided by South Korea's foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"The two sides agreed that cooperation between South Korea and Japan is even more crucial during a sensitive time and that they will continue to closely work together and share information related to the issues," the ministry said.
They strongly condemned North Korea's continued provocations, including its recent launches of long-range and other ballistic missiles, and reaffirmed their commitment to achieving North Korea's complete denuclearization.
They also agreed to work toward prompting a "firm and unified response" from the international community in the event of any additional provocations by the North.
The envoys shared the need to strengthen efforts to curb the North's nuclear and missile development, notably through the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a new sanctions-monitoring framework established with the U.S. and other partner countries.
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