Tokyo- Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson agreed Tuesday that it is necessary to add pressure on North Korea in the wake of another ballistic missile test by the reclusive country on Sunday.

During their telephone talks, Kishida and Tillerson affirmed the position that their countries will not hold talks with North Korea unless the country changes its behavior, according to officials familiar with the talks.

Meanwhile, they agreed to closely cooperate with the administration of new South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who showed a relatively dovish stance toward Pyongyang during his presidential election campaign.

The Japanese and US foreign chiefs also agreed to call on China to play a greater role in containing North Korea's provocations.

At a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Kishida welcomed Monday's press statement by the UN Security Council that strongly condemned the latest missile launch by North Korea.

"We will cooperate with other countries concerned in urging North Korea to exercise self-restraint and follow a series of related Security Council resolutions," at an emergency Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday, he added.

The UN Security Council on Monday issued a press statement that "strongly condemned" North Korea's ballistic missile launches in late April and on Sunday.

In the statement, the members of the Security Council, including China and Russia, which are close to North Korea, expressed their "utmost concern" over Pyongyang's "highly destabilizing behavior."

The council will "continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures including sanctions," the statement noted.

The Security Council has no legally binding power, but it intends to swiftly demonstrate the 15 members' unified stance to the international community. Its adoption requires approval from all member nations.

The statement said the Security Council members "vowed to fully implement" all sanctions resolutions the council imposed on North Korea. (Jiji Press)