South Korea and Japan held a director general-level meeting of their diplomatic and defense officials in Tokyo on Friday.

According to Seoul's foreign and defense ministries, the two sides shared assessments on the current regional security environment, while discussing cooperation in diplomatic and defense policies, and the trilateral cooperation involving the United States.

Seoul and Tokyo agreed to develop a bilateral security cooperation based on mutual understanding of each other's defense and security policies, amid the grave security situation stemming from North Korea's troop deployment to Russia.

The officials also agreed to closely communicate to continue the positive momentum in developing the future-oriented bilateral cooperation ahead of the 60th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations.

Friday's talks came amid controversy over a memorial ceremony honoring the Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the UNESCO-listed Sado mine complex in Japan.

South Korea boycotted the event last Sunday, citing Japan's lack of sincerity in honoring the Korean victims.