President Lee Jae-myung held a bilateral meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Thursday, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju.

Lee thanked New Zealand for its role in the Korean War, saying the two countries now enjoy strong economic, cultural and defensive ties.

He expressed hope that as global conditions grow more complex, Seoul and Wellington will continue to cooperate closely and expand mutual support.

Luxon praised Lee’s leadership as APEC's chair and noted that South Korea is New Zealand’s fifth-largest trading partner and fourth-largest source of international students.

He highlighted that trade between the two countries has nearly doubled since their free trade agreement took effect.

Both leaders agreed to further their cooperation in trade, defense and people-to-people exchange.