On the 10th, South Korea and Japan held high-level talks in Seoul to discuss North Korea's denuclearization.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jo Gurae, Head of the Diplomatic Strategy and Information Office, and Kanai Masaaki, the newly appointed Chief Representative for North Korean Nuclear Affairs from Japan who is visiting South Korea, agreed during talks held in Seoul that afternoon to consistently pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea, as repeatedly confirmed by the three countries—South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
This meeting served as an introduction between the two officials, marking the first high-level talks between South Korea and Japan regarding North Korea's nuclear issues since the start of the second term of the Trump Administration in the United States.
On this day, both sides made it clear that North Korea's repeated expression of intent to continue its nuclear development poses a direct and ongoing security threat to both countries. They also emphasized the importance of sharing in detail the results of communications regarding North Korean nuclear and related issues between South Korea and the U.S. as well as between the U.S. and Japan, including the outcome of the U.S.-Japan summit held on the 7th, and the need for close information sharing and policy coordination among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
They reaffirmed that as the strategic environment changes, cooperation between South Korea and Japan has become even more important, and they agreed to respond firmly to any provocations from North Korea under the framework of cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides particularly agreed on the need to enhance efforts to block illegal funding and resources, including cyber efforts, to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and to continue relevant cooperation such as the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) to ensure the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea. Alongside, they also decided to continue to cooperate on issues related to North Korean human rights, including abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated military captives.