US, Japan, S. Korea urge end to 'irresponsible' DPRK actions

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Senior defense officials from the US, Japan and S. Korea have reaffirmed their close cooperation in dealing with the nuclear and missile threats of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

During a meeting in Hawaii on Sunday, the three parties urged the DPRK to walk away from its “destructive and reckless path” of weapons development, Reuters quoted the US military as saying in a statement.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford hosted his South Korean and Japanese counterparts at the US Pacific Command headquarters to exchange views on DPRK’s recent long-range ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

“Together they called upon North Korea (DPRK) to refrain from irresponsible provocations that aggravate regional tensions, and to walk away from its destructive and reckless path of development,” the statement said.

Various trilateral cooperation measures such as information exchange and a readiness posture to counter threats were discussed during the session, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

Dunford reaffirmed the "ironclad commitment" of his country to defend its key regional allies and provide "extended deterrence guaranteed by the full spectrum of US military capabilities, including conventional, nuclear, and missile defense," according to the statement.

This was the fifth such meeting held by the three parties since July 2014.

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