NEW YORK -- The leaders of South Korea and Britain agreed Tuesday to work together for a peaceful and fundamental resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and expand their countries' economic relations through a bilateral free trade agreement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and British Prime Minister Theresa May stressed the need to sternly deal with North Korean provocations, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

The two met here on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as Seoul and its allies were seeking to find ways to punish Pyongyang for its latest nuclear test staged earlier in the month.

"The two leaders agreed to work closely together and continue their discussions to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue fundamentally and comprehensively at an early date, while agreeing to continue taking stern measures against North Korean provocations through UN Security Council," Cheong Wa Dae said of the meeting.
 

The communist North conducted its sixth and apparently most powerful nuclear test so far on Sept. 3. Pyongyang also fired an intermediate range ballistic missile on Friday, marking its 16th missile test since the beginning of the year and 10th since Moon took office in May.

"President Moon highly evaluated Britain's active role in adopting and implementing UNSC resolutions on North Korea as a permanent member of the UNSC," Cheong Wa Dae said.

May underscored the need for the international community to take concerted measures, calling North Korean nuclear and missile provocations a grave threat to peace not only in Northeast Asia but the entire world, it added.

Moon and May also agreed to continue expanding their countries' bilateral trade relations, calling for continued efforts to sign an FTA.

"Noting the importance of creating new jobs and growth engines, the two leaders noted a need to sign a Korea-Britain FTA that will help expand the countries' bilateral trade and investment regardless of Britain's exit from the European Union and agreed to develop their discussions and cooperation to that end," the presidential office said in a press release.

The South Korean president vowed efforts to improve his country's ties with Britain.

"President Moon said he always appreciated Britain for sending many troops to South Korea during the Korean War. He said he will continue to develop the Korea-Britain relationship to the highest level throughout his presidential term," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing.

Meanwhile, the spokesman noted the Moon-May summit marked the last of Moon's meeting with leaders from all five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council.

"With the meeting, the president has held a bilateral summit with the leaders of all five permanent members of the UNSC, forming a foundation for cooperation with the countries in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. (Yonhap)