S. Korea, U.S., Japan pledge maximum pressure on N. Korea

한미일 공동성명, 북 최대한 압박
The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have pledged to keep the heat on North Korea following its recent missile launch.
The three sides released a joint statement on Friday following their talks the day before on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.
Hwang Hojun reports.

Citing what they called an unprecedented launch of a long range missile, the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have strongly condemned North Korea.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the three sides said they will not stand idly by while North Korea threatens the international community and violates UN Security Council resolutions.

"The three leaders are committed to applying maximum pressure on Pyongyang so it changes its ways and refrains from provocative and threatening actions. They will also take the steps necessary to hold serious talks with the North for the regime's denuclearization."

According to the statement, Presidents Moon and Trump, and Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed the importance of cooperation to deter North Korea's threats.
It said their shared goal is to achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.
They decided to seek the early adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution with additional sanctions on North Korea... and they urged other nations to turn up economic pressure on Pyongyang.

The three leaders especially called on countries bordering North Korea,... namely China and Russia,.... to make further efforts to convince the regime to abandon its threatening and provocative path and immediately take steps to denuclearize.
Speaking after the trilateral meeting,... South Korea's foreign minister said the three leaders believe North Korea's neighbors can and should do much more to influence the regime.

"They agreed to make the most of the bilateral and multilateral meetings during the G20 period to get Beijing and Moscow to ratchet up pressure on North Korea."

The three leaders stressed they will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea, and urged Pyongyang to return to dialogue, saying Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo stand ready to offer the regime a brighter future IF it chooses the right path.
Hwang Hojun, Arirang News.

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[eltonzheng]

Hows that strategy working out, so far.