S. Korea, Japan, US envoys discuss North Korea

South Korea's foreign minister held phone discussions with his US and Japanese counterparts about coming international talks on North Korea's nuclear program, the South's Foreign Ministry said Thursday. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon pledged in their 10-minute conversation Wednesday night to work closely on deciding how to implement a 2005 accord that calls for North Korea to give up its nuclear program for security guarantees and aid, ministry said. Song had a 30-minute conversation Thursday with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, vowing close cooperation to implement the 2005 accord at the nuclear talks, a ministry statement said. Japan's Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement.