The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan have expressed hope that the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit will contribute to a comprehensive resolution of humanitarian concerns and security issues on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts Jim Mattis said Itsunori Onodera issued a joint statement to that effect on Sunday after their talks in Singapore.

The three sides welcomed the outcome of the two inter-Korean summits, assessing that the positive developments after the summits are creating a favorable environment for the Washington-Pyongyang summit.

The top defense chiefs also hailed the North's announcement to suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile tests and the dismantling of its Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

In addition, they agreed to maintain a unified front in their support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts to seek the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, a security forum also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

[Photo : YONHAP News]