Ardern hosts Sth Korean president
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and South Korean president Moon Jae-in have discussed North Korea tensions, the Pacific reset and closer co-operation during talks in Auckland.
Moon is in New Zealand straight from the G20 summit this week. He met Ardern in Auckland yesterday.
Ardern said she had expressed to Moon her support for the diplomatic process under way with North Korea.
New Zealand wanted to see ‘‘enduring peace on the Korean peninsula’’, and she wanted to commend Moon’s personal leadership to reduce tensions in the region.
‘‘New Zealand’s stance on nuclear non-proliferation is clear and it is our hope that 2019 will see further progress towards achieving denuclearisation of North Korea in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula,’’ she said.
‘‘New Zealand’s existing deployment of six personnel to the United Nations Command on the Korean Peninsula demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the peace process.’’
The leaders also discussed regional co-operation and their respective support for New Zealand’s Pacific Reset and Korea’s New Southern Policy, she said.
Their discussion about North Korea comes as the peace process stalls, and Washington reaffirms its hardline on sanctions against the rogue state.
Moon said yesterday he was honoured to be the first South Korean president to visit New Zealand in nine years. He said South Korea was still grateful for New Zealand’s help ‘‘safeguarding democracy’’ during the Korean War 70 years ago.
‘‘New Zealand has been a longstanding friend of Korea and we are at great distances from each other but New Zealand has been very kind by sending military troops, we will not forget the friendship and sacrifice New Zealand made during the Korean War,’’ he said.
He hoped there would be increased defence co-operation between the two countries and invited Ardern to visit South Korea in the future.
Ardern announced that New Zealand would be enabling eGate access to Korean passport holders in 2019, and that New Zealand and Korea hoped to conclude a ‘‘social security agreement’’ in the near future.