Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have agreed to seek prompt punitive measures against North Korea for pushing ahead with its fifth nuclear test.

According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, during a phone conversation that lasted 15 minutes on Friday, the top diplomats of the two allies agreed to closely cooperate through high-level and working-level channels to induce a powerful UN Security Council resolution and impose further separate sanctions on Pyongyang for its latest provocation.

The ministry said Seoul and Washington also agreed to swiftly seek additional measures that North Korea will find painful including closing loopholes in Resolution 2270 the UN Security Council adopted in March.

During the phone call, Yun and Kerry also condemned the North's nuclear test in the strongest terms and agreed to work on urging China and Russia to also join in on slapping further sanctions against Pyongyang.

[Photo : ]