By Chang Dong-woo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during high-level talks in Tokyo on Monday, the U.S. State Department said.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hiroyuki Namazu made the commitment during the countries' second U.S.-Japan Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Dialogue held in Tokyo, according to a department press release.
"They noted progress in U.S.-Japan defense industrial cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK and the immediate resolution of the abductions issue," the department said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The statement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his willingness to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, raising speculation over the possibility of renewed diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation with regional allies and partners on security issues, while welcoming Japan's growing cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The dialogue also covered economic security, critical minerals supply chains, energy security and maritime security cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, according to the department.
This photo captured from the website of the Japanese Foreign Ministry shows U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker (L) and Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hiroyuki Namazu shaking hands during a bilateral meeting held in Tokyo on Oct. 12, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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