Tokyo, Japan (NTV/NBCNC) – Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis agreed Wednesday morning Japan time to strengthen pressure on North Korea during talks over the phone in the wake of Pyongyang’s nuclear blast test this Sunday.
Onodera said both reiterated their countries would continue to pressure the North in a visible way and work closely to deal with Pyongyang.
Onodera added Mattis expressed his strong determination to defend Japan.
As to whether Secretary Mattis spoke of military action against the North, Onodera just said it’s important for the two countries to respond collaboratively.
On the scale of the nuclear blast, Onodera said the defense ministry revised yesterday’s announced estimate of 120 kilotons to 160 kilotons.
That’s more than 10 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima.
Onodera said he cannot deny the possibility that a hydrogen bomb was tested.
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