S. Korea, U.S., Japan condemn N. Korea's nuclear, missile provocations

SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- The No. 2 diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan strongly condemned North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations as they agreed to step up cooperation for the North's denuclearization, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.

The agreement came during a trilateral meeting between South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Thursday (local time), the ministry said in a press release.

Citing the North's increasing threats to the region, Blinken also reasserted that the recent decision by South Korea and the U.S. to deploy an advanced anti-missile system in the South, known as THAAD, is not aimed at a third country.

hague@yna.co.kr
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