US, Japan agree to maximize pressure on North Korea over nuclear program

The United States and Japan pledged again Tuesday to maximize pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, the State Department said Tuesday.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan was in Tokyo earlier in the day to meet with his Japanese counterpart and that country's national security adviser.

"The deputy secretary and his Japanese counterparts underscored the importance of close cooperation to place maximum diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on the DPRK to abandon its nuclear and missile development," Heather Nauert, the State Department spokesperson, said during a regular press briefing.

"The deputy also reiterated the importance of trilateral cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea to address the DPRK's threat," she added, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Sullivan and his Japanese counterpart, Shinsuke Sugiyama, flew to Seoul after their meeting to hold trilateral talks with South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam on Wednesday.

They are expected to further coordinate ways to address the North Korean threat, especially ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the allies next month.

Tensions have escalated in the region as Trump and the North Korean leadership have engaged in a war of words over Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear tests this year. (Yonhap)