The naval chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan held a teleconference Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen their trilateral cooperation against North Korean threats, the South's Navy said.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo underscored the need for further bolstering their cooperation during the talks with his US and Japanese counterparts, Adm. James Kilby and Adm. Akira Saito, according to the Navy.
"Through continued cooperation among South Korea, the US and Japan, North Korea's provocation should be effectively deterred and dealt with and maritime security capabilities should be strengthened," Yang was quoted as saying.
The three nations are seeking to strengthen their joint capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and have conducted trilateral drills, such as the multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise, as part of such efforts.
In March, the nations held joint naval drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which marked the first such exercise conducted this year and since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January. (Yonhap)
