Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed Saturday that both dialogue and pressure are needed to prod North Korea into abandoning its nuclear weapons programs, although Roh preferred to place more emphasis on discussions.
At a joint news conference after their meeting in Tokyo, Koizumi said if Pyongyang escalates the nuclear crisis, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. will work together closely and deal with the matter in a "stricter manner,"
Roh, however, made it clear that his position is slightly different.