The top military officers of South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to strengthen close coordination against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats after the North's launch of a long-range missile.

Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, held phone talks with his US counterpart, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, hours after North Korea's provocations, the South's military said.

They strongly condemned the latest test as a blatant violation of a set of UN Security Council resolutions against the North and as a provocation that could not be condoned, the JCS said.

North Korea claimed that it has successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking anywhere on the mainland US.

Jeong stressed the importance of keeping close coordination between the allies to curb additional North Korean provocations.

"South Korea's military showed its stern resolve and capability to counter the North's threat by conducting live-fire missile training after the provocation," Jeong was quoted as saying by the military.

Dunford said that the US will counter North Korea's provocative acts based on the iron-clad alliance and do its best for its Asian ally's peace and security. (Yonhap)