Senior foreign affairs and defense officials from Japan and South Korea have agreed to communicate closely to step up bilateral security cooperation.

The two countries held their first security dialogue in five years on Monday in Seoul.

Japan's Foreign Ministry says discussions included how to respond to North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The South Korean side also says the officials agreed to develop bilateral security cooperation for the future.

When Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit in March, they agreed that the two sides should resume the dialogue soon to help mend bilateral relations.