U.S., South Korean defense chiefs to meet this month, Pentagon

WASHINGTON - 18 August 2017: U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis will meet his South Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Song Young-moo, later this month, the Pentagon said on Thursday after a phone call between the two officials on the eve of a U.S.-Japanese security meeting.

Mattis congratulated Song on his confirmation as defense minister in the call on Wednesday. Both officials condemned North Korea's second intercontinental ballistic missile test on July 28 and agreed to coordinate closely on responding to the threat from Pyongyang, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The phone call came ahead of high-level meetings on Thursday between Mattis, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and their Japanese counterparts. The talks focused on North Korea and other regional security issues.