General Secretary NATO, Gens Stoltenberg, arrived in South Korea today, the first stop on his tour, which includes Japan, aimed at strengthening ties with US allies amid war in Ukraine and growing competition from China.

In the capital of South Korea, Seoul, Stoltenberg met with Foreign Minister Park Jin and is expected to meet with the President Yoon Suk-geol and Minister of National Defense Lee Yong-soup.

NATO worries about North Korea’s ‘irresponsible’ missile tests and nuclear program as war in Ukraine has repercussions for Asia, Stoltenberg to Park at the beginning of their meeting, citing suspicions that North Korea was providing military support to Russia’s war effort.

“This only highlights the extent of the relationship that exists between us,” he said.

Both officials referred to “common values” between NATO countries and South Korea.

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

It is expected that the head of NATO will leave tomorrow, on Monday, in Tokyowhere he is scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Japan Smoke Kishida and other Japanese officials.

While NATO continues to focus on Europe and North America, its members are affected by issues around the world, he stressed. Stoltenberg in an interview he gave to a South Korean news agency Yonhap.

“We need to counter these global threats and challenges, including those emanating from China, and one way to do that is, of course, to work more closely with our partners in the region,” he said.

Yun and Kishida last year they were the first leaders of their countries to attend a NATO summit as observers, along with the leaders of member countries of the alliance.

Chinese state media warned the leaders of South Korea and Japan against attending the NATO summit and criticized the alliance’s expanding partnership in Asia.

North Korea also noted that NATO involvement in the region Asian-Pacific area this will introduce you to the conflict raging in Europe.

OUR Pyongyang and Moscow denied US accusations that North Korea was supplying Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine.

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters}