South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin has met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed improving the two countries' strategic partner relationship, the ministry said Saturday.

Park met with Erdogan in Turkey on Friday (local time) during his four-nation trip, which will also take him to three European countries, according to the foreign ministry.

It marks the first visit to Turkey by Seoul's foreign minister in eight years.

In the meeting, Park expressed gratitude to the "brother nation" for dispatching around 20,000 soldiers during the 1950-1953 Korean War, marking the 70th anniversary of the Armistice Agreement, according to the ministry.

Park asked for Turkey's support for the South Korean government's "audacious" initiative, which offers massive economic assistance to North Korea in exchange for its denuclearization steps.

Park also called for the development of bilateral economic cooperation in the defense industry, nuclear power plants and infrastructure.

Erdogan said he welcomes South Korean companies' investment in Turkey and hopes the two countries will improve their economic ties reciprocally, according to the ministry.

The ministry added that Erdogan invited President Yoon Suk Yeol to visit Turkey in the near future, hoping to further facilitate exchanges between the two countries' high-ranking government officials. (Yonhap)