S. Korea, Japan agree on U.N.-level reaction to N. Korea nuke test

(ATTN: UPDATES with S. Korean nuke envoy's comments in last 3 paras; CHANGES dateline)
SEOUL/HANOI, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan agreed Monday to seek
U.N.-level punishment against North Korea's second nuclear test, officials said.

The agreement came at a meeting between Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and his
Japanese counterpart Hirofumi Nakasone held on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi.
The ministers said they will "call for the U.N. Security Council to convene an
emergency meeting on the issue as early as possible," according to a senior South
Korean official who asked not to be named.
Yu plans to have more discussions with foreign ministers from other nations,
including China and Russia, which are also attending the ASEM forum, he added.
North Korea announced earlier in the day that it successfully conducted an
underground nuclear test. Its previous test was conducted in 2006.
In Seoul, South Korea's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac called a meeting of related
director general-level officials at the foreign ministry to map out
countermeasures.
He refused to provide details, saying the government is still in the process of
discussing its official position.
Wi first reported the North's move to the foreign minister by telephone.
"Minister Yu said that (the government) will have to handle the situation through
solid international cooperation, including (one with) the other five parties (in
the six-way talks)," Wi said before asking reporters to end a photo session and
leave the room. The United States is also a dialogue partner in the nuclear
talks.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)