A senior U.S. government official says Washington will actively heed the views of South Korea and Japan in devising and implementing its North Korea policy. 

The official - speaking on condition of anonymity - made the remark in a press briefing on Thursday, one day before the top security advisers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are to sit down for talks at a naval academy in Maryland. 

The official stated that the upcoming meeting will be the first gathering of high-level officials of the three countries since the launch of the Biden administration.

The three-way meeting comes as Washington is reviewing its North Korea policy and has been gathering the opinions of its key allies. 

The official said Friday’s meeting will touch on nuclear nonproliferation, the North’s recent ballistic missile test, the North’s COVID-19 situation and North Korea-China relations. 

The official said the main aim of the meeting is to deepen mutual understanding on North Korea issues, stressing the need for the three countries’ cooperation and harmony.

The official said the broader regional security issues in the South China Sea and elsewhere will also be on the agenda, suggesting that a joint response to China will be discussed.