Japan, US, S Korea to Work to Implement UN Sanctions on Pyongyang - Reports

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The Japanese and South Korean defense ministers along with the US secretary of defense agreed to jointly work toward the implementation of UNSC sanctions against North Korea during their trilateral meeting in Singapore on Friday, the NHK broadcaster reported.

Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his US and South Korean counterparts, James Mattis and Jeong Kyeongdoo, participated in trilateral consultations on the sidelines of the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers, according to the NHK broadcaster.

The Japanese side suggested that Tokyo, Seoul and Washington should make joint efforts to ensure that the UNSC sanctions are implemented, while Mattis stressed that stopping North Korea from transferring goods from one ship to another when still in the sea to bypass sanctions contributed to more fruitful talks with Pyongyang, the news outlet added.

The South Korean defense minister, in turn, said that Seoul wanted to contribute to the efforts of Japan and the United States aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

READ MORE: Two Koreas and UN Command Holds First Talks on Border Demilitarization

Pyongyang has been subject to numerous UN sanctions over the past 10 years for its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The sanctions target North Korea's exports of natural resources, such as coal, imports of weapons and any financial and material support that could contribute to the development of the country's missile or nuclear programs.

However, the relations between Pyongyang and the rest of the world have started to thaw over the past few months, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held three historic summits with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and helped to ease tension on the peninsula. Kim also attended a summit with US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the region.