Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N.K. satellite, provocations

▲ Lee Jun-il (C), the director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, poses for a photo prior to his talks with Hamamoto Yukiya (L), Japan's new deputy nuclear envoy, and other Japanese diplomats on Dec. 8, 2023, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-Japan-nuke envoys

Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N.K. satellite, provocations

SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's deputy nuclear envoy Lee Jun-il met U.S. and Japanese diplomats to discuss ways to counter North Korea's evolving military threats, including its latest military spy satellite launch, the foreign ministry said Friday.

During Lee's meeting with U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak and Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, the three sides agreed to step up cooperation in dealing with the North's provocations.

The meeting came as Lee is in Tokyo for a three-day visit to attend the first trilateral working-group talks on ways to boost cooperation against the North's cyber threats.

At the meeting, the envoys highly evaluated the joint coordinated response of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia in slapping sanctions on Pyongyang following the North's launch of its spy satellite last month.

They also agreed to work closely together as the three countries will serve as members of the U.N. Security Council next year, the ministry said.

Separately, Lee held bilateral talks with Pak on Thursday to discuss efforts to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

On Friday, he also met Hamamoto Yukiya, Japan's new deputy nuclear envoy, and shared the view that the foreign ministerial meeting among Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing held last month provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions on peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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