Abe to discuss DPRK 'thoroughly' with Trump

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he would discuss Pyongyang "thoroughly" with US President Donald Trump when he visits Japan next month, and reaffirm the two countries' commitment to working together in dealing with the country.

Abe was speaking at a news conference after his ruling coalition scored a landslide victory in the lower house election on Sunday.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also leader of the LDP, attends a news conference at LDP headquarters in Tokyo, October 23, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Earlier on Monday, Abe and Trump spoke on the phone and the two agreed to work together to raise pressure on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Abe's conservative coalition is on track to win at least 312 seats with only a handful left to call, giving him a coveted two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, told reporters that Abe and Trump were planning to play golf together on November 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan.

Abe, 63, is now on course to become Japan's longest-serving premier, winning a fresh term at the helm of the world's third-biggest economy and key US regional ally.

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania invite Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe for dinner at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, February 10, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The hawkish prime minister said the crushing election victory had hardened his resolve to deal with the crisis in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and fired two missiles over its northern islands.

Abe said he will deliver his promise in the election and deal with DPRK with "strong diplomacy."

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters