The leaders of South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” in their first summit in Tokyo, underscoring the need to continue existing cooperation against North Korean threats even as Seoul revamps its approach to inter-Korean relations.

The talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday elicited a furious response from Pyongyang, which accused the ROK leader of attempting to ingratiate himself with the U.S. ahead of his summit with Donald Trump.

During their meeting, Ishiba and Lee pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation and the trilateral