Suga urges S. Korea to take cautious approach toward N. Korea

March 6, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday called on Seoul to take a cautious approach toward North Korea.

South Korea should be fully aware that past dialogue with the North has not led to the country's denuclearization, Suga told a press conference.

Suga made the remark after a meeting between envoys from South Korea and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Monday. Some details of the meeting were announced Tuesday.

North Korea is desperately engaged in "smile diplomacy" because it has been heavily affected by economic sanctions, Foreign Minister Taro Kono told a separate press conference.

Kono said he wants to be briefed about the meeting by South Korea, adding that Tokyo, Seoul, Washington are in close contact on North Korean issues.

Also on Tuesday, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera held talks in Tokyo with Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet.

"It's important to continue putting pressure on North Korea, including by holding planned US-South Korea joint military drills, to make North Korea abandon its nuclear and missile programs," Onodera said during the meeting.

Swift said there is no particular change in the planned drills. Jiji Press