(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan agree to boost ties against N.K. threats

(ATTN: ADDS Seoul-Washington defense talks, background info in last 5 paras; RECASTS 5th para)
By Oh Seok-min

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Singapore Saturday, agreeing to work closer to thwart growing North Korean nuclear and missiles threats.

South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Ashton Carter and Gen Nakatani, were in Singapore for the annual Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The three ministers "re-emphasized their immutable opposition to North Korea's possession and continued development of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery," vowing to "closely coordinate with the international community to deter North Korean provocations," according to a joint statement issued after the talks.

Stressing that the North's nuclear programs represent "a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," they highly valued the trilateral arrangement meant to share intelligence on nuclear and missile threats being posed by Pyongyang, it said.

Under a deal signed in December, the three countries are set to voluntarily share sensitive information and intelligence on North Korea to better cope with Pyongyang's evolving security threats to the region and beyond.

The North has recently ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula further by launching a series of provocative actions, including its claimed success in launching a ballistic missile from a submarine. It also claims that it has mastered the technology to make nuclear warheads small enough to fit them atop missiles.

Later, Han and Carter met separately, during which they agreed to "jointly respond to any North Korean provocations in a stern manner," Han's office said in a news release.

"The two sides agreed to continue to devise countermeasures against North Korea's nuclear and conventional weapons and to strengthen their alliance by fostering the joint defense posture," it said.

The Shangri-La dialogue kicked off on Friday for a three-day run, bringing together defense chiefs and experts from major Asia-Pacific and European countries.

On the sidelines of the forum, hosted by the British think-tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the South Korean defense minister also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Thailand and Indonesia.

On Sunday, Han is scheduled to meet with the defense delegates from China, Australia, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) before flying home.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)