The two ministers signaled the stance during their 25-minute talks held on the sidelines of a series of meetings this week sponsored by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Kawaguchi briefed Choi on her encounter Wednesday with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, including their accord to hold a high-level meeting around Aug. 25 and the next meeting of Red Cross societies of the two countries in mid-August, both in Pyongyang, the official said.

While welcoming moves toward improving Japan-North Korea ties, Choi also embraced the recently softening U.S. stand on the North as a favorable development, the official said.

He was quoted as saying Seoul regards Japanese and U.S. efforts to get North Korea involved in international society as vital and that South Korea wants to continue coordinating its North Korea policy with the two countries.

Kawaguchi expressed hope that a working-level meeting between North and South Korea scheduled from Friday to Sunday at the North's Mt. Kumgang to prepare for the resumption of inter-Korean ministerial talks will be successful.

In a turnaround from its earlier stance, North Korea began a series of diplomatic initiatives last week to resume dialogue with the international community, especially Japan, South Korea and the United States.

As Pyongyang voiced regret over the naval battle in the Yellow Sea in late June, the U.S., which had been harsh on North Korea, softened its stance, with Secretary of State Colin Powell briefly meeting North Korean Foreign Minister Paek on Wednesday.