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Our top story this lunchtime... For the first time in six years, the leaders
of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan met to strengthen policy coordination, especially
on North Korea,... on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague.
It was also the first time President Park sat down for talks with Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe. Our correspondent Choi You-sun , who's traveling
with the president, filed this report from Berlin. The leaders of South Korea, the U.S.
and Japan pledged to strengthen their cooperation in curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
"The North Korean nuclear issue poses a major threat to peace and stability in the region.
It is vital that the international community, including Korea, the U.S. and Japan fashion
a united response."
Reaffirming that they will not engage in talks with the North unless it shows sincerity about
giving up nuclear arms, the three leaders agreed that their chief envoys to the six-nation
talks aimed at denuclearizing the North will meet in the near future.
President Obama stressed the trilateral cooperation has become ever more crucial in deterring
North Korea's nuclear and missile development.
"Our trilateral cooperation has sent a strong signal to Pyongyang that its provocations
and threats will be met with a unified response, and that a nuclear North Korea is unacceptable."
The Washington-led summit has garnered much attention, especially since it was the first
between President Park and her Japanese counterpart amid strained ties between the two key Asian
allies of the U.S. over historical and territorial issues.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has repeatedly expressed his wishes to meet President
Park, despite tensions over his government's denial of some past wrongdoings, seemed to
have prepared a lot for Tuesday's meeting.
"I am so very happy to be able to meet President Park Geun-hye."
As expected, the most contentious issues, such as Japan's denials of its colonial-era
atrocities and its claims to Korea-controlled Dokdo Island, were not brought up Tuesday.
"President Park is now in Berlin to start the first leg of her four-day state visit.
Here, she'll hold summit talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim
Gauck to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and seek German support for her reunification
policy. Choi You-sun, Arirang News, Berlin."