US Defense Minister, Japan And South Korea Agree To Start Sharing North Korean Missile Data In December

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un directly oversees the launch of cruise missiles from warships. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Japan, and South Korea agreed for various real time individuals to hit North Korea's missiles in December, according to North Korea's Ministry of Defense on Sunday.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday, while his second colleague, Japanese Defense Minister Minuru Kihara joined the meeting online.

The ministers discussed strengthening three-way cooperation in dealing with a "strict security environment," Kihara told reporters.

"This is the first time the three ministers have held such a meeting," said Kihara.

"We emphasize that we continue to make adjustments, taking the process to the final stage," said Defense Minister Kihara.

The ministers also criticized the increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of UN resolutions, South Korea's defense ministry said in a statement, stressing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a summit on August 18, that starting later this year, the three countries will share real-time North Korean missile warning data.

Separately, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown held talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Sunday, the South Korean military said.

In his first visit to South Korea since he took office in October, the top US general discussed North Korea's "continuous provocation", including missile launches, reaffirming the United States' commitment to South Korea's defense, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.