NATO Chief Stoltenberg Visits S. Korea to Boost Asia Ties

On Sunday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg landed in South Korea, in a bid to boost the military alliance's ties with US partners in Asia.

After arriving in South Korea, Stoltenberg paid his respects at Seoul National Cemetery, where Korean war veterans are buried.

Stoltenberg met with senior South Korean officials in the capital, including Foreign Minister Park Jin. He will also meet Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup.

Stoltenberg is also likely to hold a meeting with conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

During his meeting with the South Korean foreign minister, Stoltenberg spoke of North Korea's "reckless" nuclear and missile programs. 

He noted that Europe and Asia are "interconnected", with Stoltenberg believing North Korea is aiding Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Stoltenberg also cited the growing security threat from China as the reason for his trip to the Asia-Pacific region.

Park pledged solidarity with NATO, emphasizing the "shared values" between NATO countries and South Korea.

"Given today's unprecedented global challenges, we believe that solidarity among countries that share values of freedom, democracy, and rule of law is more important than ever," Park said.

South Korea opened a diplomatic mission to NATO in November, vowing to step up coordination on issues such as nonproliferation and cyber terrorism.

After the South Korea trip, Stoltenberg will leave for Japan on Monday. He is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other officials during that visit.

Both Yoon and Kishida attended a NATO summit in Spain in June, becoming the first leaders of their countries to do so. Their presence prompted a backlash from the Chinese state-run media.