The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held a meeting Tuesday to discuss cooperation in dealing with North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, the Seoul foreign ministry said.

Kim Gunn, the ministry's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, at the South Korean foreign ministry in Seoul and exchanged views on the security situation surrounding Pyongyang.

The two sides stressed the importance of South Korea-Japan bilateral cooperation, as well as trilateral cooperation involving the United States, in countering the North's threats. They also agreed to further strengthen communication to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.

After their meeting, Tokyo's foreign ministry also said the envoys shared the view that North Korea's missile provocations pose a clear and serious challenge to the international community.