Yoon discusses Mideast tensions, NK issues with US envoy

President Yoon Suk Yeol held talks with the top US envoy to the United Nations on Monday to discuss issues ranging from tensions in the Middle East to UN sanctions against North Korea, his office said.

Yoon's meeting with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield took place at the presidential office as part of her four-day trip to South Korea that also involved talks with the foreign and defense ministers.

The two called for joint efforts to help resolve the Mideast crisis and extend comprehensive and strategic cooperation between South Korea and the United States amid concerns over the regional issue affecting other areas, such as the economy and supply chain, according to the presidential office.

Noting that the South Korea-US alliance has progressed on the basis of universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, Yoon was quoted as saying the alliance is advancing into a global comprehensive strategic alliance.

He expressed hope for South Korea and the U.S. to closely cooperate so that the UN Security Council can fulfill its role and emphasized the importance of cooperation within the council to firmly sustain the UN's sanctions regime against the North, the presidential office said.

In response, Thomas-Greenfield reaffirmed support for South Korea's efforts to deter the North's nuclear and missile developments and enhance its human rights conditions, and vowed to closely cooperate with Seoul on North Korean and global issues, it added. (Yonhap)