Japan, S. Korea reaffirm unity amid N. Korea threat

Tokyo, Oct 24 (IANS)  Japan's newly re-elected Prime Minister and the South Korean President agreed on Tuesday to continue cooperating in the face of North Korea's nuclear threats.

A government spokesperson said that Shinzo Abe and Moon Jae-in had spoken over telephone, Efe reported quoting Japanese news agency Kyodo.

The pair reportedly discussed relations between the two governments following Abe's victory in a snap election held on Sunday.

Abe and Moon reaffirmed their willingness to continue with bilateral cooperation regarding North Korea, as well as trilateral cooperation involving the US.

A spokesperson from Moon's office told South Korean news agency Yonhap that the President had congratulated Abe on his re-election and said that the strong support he had received would be a driving force in pursuing his policies.

Japan's Prime Minister on Monday promised to take counter-measures in order to tackle North Korean threats, after the ruling coalition that he leads achieved the required two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives.

Likewise, Abe agreed to step up the pressure on Pyongyang in a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday, ahead of Trump's tour of Asia in early November, which will see him visit Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing.