South Korea and Japan's foreign ministers had a telephone conversation Wednesday to discuss North Korea's launch of a new, longer-range ballistic missile early in the day and how to respond to the provocation, the South Korean foreign ministry said.
In the 20-minute conversation that began at 4:40 p.m., South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed "deep concern" over the North's resumption of provocations despite repeated warnings from the international community.
She stressed that the international community should continue all sorts of diplomatic efforts, including tougher sanctions, to eliminate North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities.
Her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono agreed with her opinions and said South Korea needs to work more closely with Japan and the United States on the global diplomatic stage to encourage the international community to take "stronger and more effective measures" against the North.
They also agreed that the two countries will continue communication on denuclearizing North Korea through various channels in the future.
