US, Japan reaffirm commitment to complete denuclearization of N. Korea in high-level talks

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 regiona