Mattis warns of 'bumpy road' to Trump-Kim summit

Seeking to address concerns the U.S. may be rushing to strike a breakthrough, Mattis repeated the U.S. position that North Korea will only receive relief from U.N. national security sanctions when it demonstrates "verifiable and irreversible steps" to denuclearization.

He said allies must remain vigilant.

Through an interpreter, South Korean Defense Minister Song said that this is a great turning point as North Korea takes its first steps toward denuclearization.

"Of course, given North Korea's past, we must be cautious in approaching this," he added that some of North Korea's recent measures "give us reasons to be positive and one can be cautiously optimistic as we move forward."

Japanese Defense Minister Onodera said that while the solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis must be diplomatic, the defense cooperation among the United States and its Asian allies was key to bringing it about.

"Japan, Korea and the U.S. continue to agree that pressure is needed to be applied on North Korea," Onodera told reporters after the meeting.

Japan frets about Trump's looming talks with North Korea

Despite a long-standing security alliance between the United States and Japan, some people in Japan worry that the United States may cut a deal to protect its cities from nuclear attack by the North, while leaving Japan vulnerable.

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