Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed to set up a high-level consultation body to counter the threats of cyberattacks by North Korea.

South Korea's presidential office says senior national security officials from the three countries reached the agreement when they met in Washington on Tuesday.

The countries' leaders agreed in August to launch a working group to step up measures against North Korea's cyberattacks.

Pyongyang is believed to have been conducting the attacks to fund its nuclear and missile programs.

In October, a UN Security Council panel said North Korean hackers stole cryptocurrency totaling a record 1.7 billion dollars last year.

South Korea's presidential national security office says it hopes potential cyber threats from international hacker groups will be reduced by working in a sustainable and diverse manner with countries that share democratic values.