TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Thursday told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin he wanted to deepen security cooperation with Washington and South Korea after North Korea's failed rocket launch.
"We need to strengthen ties between Japan and the U.S. and also between Japan, the U.S. and ROK (Republic of Korea), as it possible that North Korea launches again," Hamada told Austin at a meeting in Tokyo
Austin was in Japan on a stopover on his way to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit. He will also visit India and France.
The failed North Korean launch of what it said was a military satellite on Thursday prompted emergency alerts in parts of Japan and South Korea, with residents warned to take cover.
Austin told Hamada he wanted to bolster cooperation between their alliance, South Korea and Australia, as they also face challenges posed by China and Russia.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly and Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Tom Hogue and Gerry Doyle)