Yun, Kerry discuss N. Korea, fight against IS

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in New York Tuesday and discussed North Korea, the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State and other issues facing the two allies, sources said.

Pyongyang's human rights record was a topic for their discussions because the meeting came immediately before they attended the first-ever ministerial forum on North Korea's human rights problem to be held on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, the sources said.

Kerry also stressed the importance of the alliance, saying the U.S. takes South Korea's security as its own.

He also outlined the fight against IS, including airstrikes against IS targets in Syria, as well as efforts to tackle the Ebola virus, and asked for South Korea's support, they said.

Kerry also briefed Yun on the new U.S. policy forswearing the use of anti-personnel landmines outside the Korean Peninsula. The White House announced the policy, citing the peninsula's "unique circumstances" and its commitment to South Korea's defense.

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