S. Korea, Mexico agree to work together to denuclearize N. Korea

Published : Mar 8, 2017 - 15:54 Updated : Mar 8, 2017 - 15:54

Vice foreign ministers of South Korea and Mexico have agreed to continue their countries' collaboration to denuclearize North Korea and improve its human rights situation, Seoul officials said Wednesday.

During their talks in Mexico on Tuesday, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee and his counterpart Carlos Alberto de Icaza also discussed North Korea's recent assassination of its leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee (Yonhap)

The two officials concurred that the assassination and the North's recent missile launches pose a threat to the international community and require stern international actions, according to the ministry.

The Mexican foreign minister stressed his country will work closely with South Korea to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons and enhance the human rights conditions in the North, the ministry also said.

The officials also agreed to increase their collaboration to fend off any negative impact from the US trade policy under the new Donald Trump administration, the ministry also noted.

Ahn called for the Mexican government's special attention to South Korean companies operating in the country because a possible renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement could adversely affect them, the ministry said.

The Mexican counterpart promised his government's "utmost" efforts to that end.

They also pledged efforts to push for the resumption of bilateral negotiations for a free trade agreement between the countries, the ministry added. (Yonhap)