ROME -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to pay attention to peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral relations between the two countries after she steps down.

Moon and Merkel, who will soon step down after 16 years in office, met one-on-one on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in the Italian capital.

Moon thanked Merkel for her efforts to improve bilateral relations since 2005, saying that bilateral ties between South Korea and Germany have soundly developed over the past 16 years.

Merkel said she will continue to support efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and bring peace on the Korean Peninsula.

During the meeting, Moon and Merkel reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating in guaranteeing equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for every country and to expanding vaccine production and supply, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said.

The two leaders also took note of efforts by South Korea and Germany to combat the climate crisis, including their target for carbon neutrality by 2050, Park said. (Yonhap)