Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-Yeol expressed their agreement to enhance bilateral relations with the United States (US) in response to the North Korean military threat.
According to reports, Kishida and Yoon also agreed to maintain close ties with North Korea.
This comes in the wake of North Korea's recent use of its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in 2 secret launches, further giving the impression that the country may resume long-range testing of the missile.
Kishida in a statement said almost all diplomatic options were open for dealing with North Korea including sanctions options and Japan would continue to liaise closely with the US and South Korea on any retaliation.
Meanwhile, spokesman Yoon, who recently won the presidential election, said he hoped for greater bilateral cooperation involving the US in addressing the North Korean issue.
It is common knowledge that relations between the two neighboring countries became strained after the issue of Japanese occupation in 1910 to 1945 on the Korean peninsula.
Yoon in a statement told Kishida that it was important to resolve the unresolved bilateral issues in a ‘reasonable and mutually beneficial manner’, besides adding the two sides have many areas of cooperation including regional and economic security.
Apart from that, Yoon also expressed his condolences to the victims of the 2011 earthquake that hit eastern Japan in conjunction with the 11th anniversary of the tragedy.
