The U.S. will sign a joint intelligence-sharing pact with South Korea and Japan next week, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
The U.S. already swaps intelligence with both nations, but under the new agreement, South Korea and Japan would be able to share information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs via the U.S.
North Korea has made progress in manufacturing small, light nuclear warheads capable of reaching the U.S., South Korean officials say. The new agreement is designed to allow all three nations to respond more swiftly to North Korean provocation.