Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his US and South Korean counterparts, James Mattis and Jeong Kyeongdoo, participated in trilateral consultations on the sidelines of the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers, according to the NHK broadcaster.
The South Korean defense minister, in turn, said that Seoul wanted to contribute to the efforts of Japan and the United States aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
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However, the relations between Pyongyang and the rest of the world have started to thaw over the past few months, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held three historic summits with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and helped to ease tension on the peninsula. Kim also attended a summit with US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the region.