President Moon jae-in spoke by phone to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 9:30 this morning and had an in-depth discussion about North Korea’s recent missile provocation. Their conversation came only five days after their last telephone call on August 25, and it was their fifth since the inauguration of the new Administration in Korea.

During their discussion today, the two leaders gave high marks to the unprecedented cooperation between Korea and Japan in dealing with the crisis. They also shared a common understanding that pressure against North Korea should be maximized so that it would come to the negotiating table first on its own initiative.

Moreover, they noted that it was the result of the close coordination among Korea, the United States and Japan that the United Nations Security Council was convened more expeditiously than ever before and a presidential statement was adopted on the first day of the meeting. The two leaders reached an agreement that they would pursue a Security Council sanctions resolution stipulating more concrete and effective measures against the North and, during the process, Korea, the United States and Japan would spearhead discussions and work together to elicit support from China and Russia.

Noting that the firing of an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japanese territory was not merely a provocation but an act of violence to a neighboring country, President Moon explained to Prime Minister Abe that, right after the North`s launch, the Korean Government immediately convened a meeting of the National Security Council and strongly denounced the North`s provocation. The President continued to say that it made a show of force by scrambling four fighter jets that dropped eight powerful bombs, which was the strongest response ever.

In addition, President Moon expressed his deep empathy and consolation for the sense of anxiety and threat the Japanese public felt because of the missile provocation by the North. The two leaders agreed to contact each other immediately like today and discuss their joint response in the days to come. They also concurred on having an additional discussion on the issue when they meet in Vladivostok in early September.