19 April 2017

News Report: In Face of Uncertainty, South Korea, Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties

As things heat up in the region, those nations who feel most threatened by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are making sure they can still count on presenting single front.

South Korea's Vice Defense Minister met Tuesday with Japanese ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, according to a Seoul ministry statement. The two mainly discussed the North Korean issue.

During the 30-minute talk, they agreed on the importance of bilateral partnership regarding the growing threat from North Korea, and on the importance of incorporating US military assistance into their readiness plan, the statement said.

Tokyo and Seoul signed an agreement to share military intelligence information last year. Both Hwang and Yasumasa confirmed that this practice must be continued.

The statement comes a day before the two countries with the US will meet, on a vice defense minister level, to discuss ways to prevent North Korea from further conducting nuclear tests and launching missiles, according to the South Korean Yonhap news agency.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.