South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam at the Mexican president's inauguration ceremony on Saturday.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Sunday, Kang expressed hope for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's prompt visit to Seoul to strengthen the drive for efforts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.

The North Korean titular leader, who extended his greetings to President Moon Jae-in, said the two sides should continue to work together to improve inter-Korean ties.

The ministry said the impromptu meeting took place during a welcome luncheon on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Kang also met with the new Mexican leader and delivered Moon's congratulations along with his willingness to maintain the two countries' strategic partnership.

On Friday, Kang sat down with her new Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard to seek ways to expand political and economic cooperation, and asked for Mexico's support for South Korea to join the Pacific Alliance as an associate member.