Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said he had a short conversation with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun Monday afternoon as they gathered for ASEAN-related meetings in Brunei.
"We exchanged words but I will not go into details," Kishida told reporters after trilateral talks at which Japan, South Korea and the United States vowed to press the North toward denuclearization.
"We'd like to make Japan's stance clear on the occasion of the ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum)" on Tuesday, Kishida added, referring to a security forum sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.