US, South Korea agree to map out 'comprehensive' North Korea strategy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his new American counterpart, Joe Biden, have agreed to draw up a joint "comprehensive" strategy on North Korea and closely cooperate to bring about the denuclearization of the country.

Moon's spokesman Kang Min-seok announced the agreement in a briefing on Thursday, after the two leaders held their first telephone conversation since Biden's inauguration on January 20.

During the half-hour call, Moon proposed that the two sides make joint efforts to push for denuclearization.

Biden said it was important for Washington and Seoul to maintain the same position on the matter, pledging close cooperation to achieve joint objectives.

Kang said that the two leaders shared the view that trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan was important for what he called regional peace.

He also said Moon and Biden exchanged opinions on other regional security issues, including those related to Myanmar.

"In particular, they shared concerns about the recent situations in Myanmar and agreed to cooperate for a democratic, peaceful resolution," Kang said, referring to the recent military coup in the Southeast Asian country.

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In a separate statement, the White House also said Biden and Moon had agreed to closely coordinate on North Korea.

Biden's phone conversation with Moon was meant to "stress his commitment to strengthening the United States-(South Korea) alliance, which is the linchpin for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia," the statement said.

The White House further said the two leaders agreed on the need for the immediate restoration of democracy in Myanmar, while agreeing to work together to address shared global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Earlier in the day, Moon said in a post on Twitter that he had had "a great conversation" with Biden.

"We will always stand together as we work for peace on the Korean Peninsula and tackle global challenges," he said.

Moon has previously worked to enhance South Korea's relations with North Korea, and he formerly brokered diplomacy between the US, under ex-president Donald Trump, and the North.

During his four-year presidency, Trump met with Kim three times but refused to relieve any of the numerous sanctions on Pyongyang even though North Korea had taken several steps toward denuclearization.

The North and South Korea are still technically at war as the 1953 Korean War ended with a truce in 1953 and not a peace treaty.

The US has been holding massive drills with South Korea every year, in what the North has called rehearsals for an invasion.

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The drills heighten military and political tensions on the Korean Peninsula. And while they were downgraded in 2018, Washington has renewed calls for the resumption of the exercises in full.

There are some 28,500 US troops in South Korea.

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