Press Releases

1. On the morning of May 14, Mr. Kenji Kanasugi, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, exchanged views respectively with Ambassador Joseph Y. Yun, Special Representative for North Korea Policy of the United States, and with Ambassador Kim Hong-kyun, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) via telephone.

2. With both officials, Director-General Kanasugi exchanged information regarding the ballistic missile launch by North Korea earlier on the same day and shared the view to continue to maintain close cooperation between Japan-U.S. and among Japan-U.S.-ROK, including at the United Nations. Furthermore, Director-General Kanasugi reaffirmed with both officials the recognition that dialogue for the sake of dialogue with North Korea is meaningless, and that it is necessary to put pressure on North Korea at this juncture.