Senior diplomats from Japan, the United States and South Korea have held telephone talks on North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch.
Namazu Hiroyuki, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, spoke on Thursday with the US Special Representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, and South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Kim Gunn.
The three noted that North Korea's missile launches, including the two ballistic missiles fired late Wednesday, are being conducted at an unprecedented pace using new methods.
They shared the view that this poses a grave and imminent threat to regional security and is a clear and serious challenge to the international community.
The diplomats confirmed close trilateral cooperation in strengthening deterrence and response capabilities, and in actions at the UN Security Council and working with allies.