Defense ministers of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held talks on the sidelines the Shangri-La Dialogue one of Asia's biggest security meetings.
They vowed to increase efforts to boost military ties as well as cooperation to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Ji-yeon reports.

The defense ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have vowed to maintain close cooperation to support diplomatic efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and everlasting peace in the region.
This is according to a joint statement after their trilateral meeting which was held for more than an hour and half on Sunday on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
According to the statement released by Seoul's defense ministry... the three sides stressed the need for North Korea to fully abide by international duties in accordance to the resolutions that call for Pyeongyang's complete denuclearization in "verifiable and irreversible manners."
They also agreed on the need to thoroughly implement United Nations Security Council resolutions in regards to preventing and controlling North Korea's illegal ship-to-ship transfers.
In addition, the three ministers plan to share their assessments of recent North Korean missile firings and continue monitoring the
regime's movements... saying the countries' cooperation is critical in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
They vowed to increase security cooperation in intelligence sharing, senior-level policy consultations as well as joint military exercises... and stated it'll work toward institutionalizing the buildup of the three countries' military trust.
The three sides also reiterated the need for a peaceful resolution based on international law that guarantees the freedom-of-navigation... perhaps in regards to the disputed South China Sea issue... in which China and the U.S. are conducting patrols in the area... amid a bitter trade battle that has strained China-U.S. ties.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.

On this Monday morning, South Korea's defense minister Chung Kyung-doo and the U.S. Acting defense chief Patrick Shanahan will sit down in Seoul to discuss key issues regarding the South Korea, U.S. alliance. During this meeting between the two, the second of such kind, are expected to talk about the security situation on the Korean peninsula, joint exercises in the second half of the year as well as the transfer of operational control.