Joint efforts of S. Korea, Japan critical to denuclearization of N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- Any U.S. effort to denuclearize North Korea will not be as effective without the support and close cooperation of both South Korea and Japan, a U.S. State Department official said Friday, highlighting the importance of the two U.S. allies working together.

Ned Price, press secretary at the State Department, also said three-way cooperation between the countries is important to promoting their shared values in the Indo-Pacific region.

"We know that any approach to North Korea, one that puts denuclearization at the center as we plan to do, won't be effective if we are not working in tandem with our Japanese and Korean counterparts," Price told a daily press briefing.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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