President Yoon Suk Yeol has stressed the need for stronger cooperation to respond to North Korea’s illegal procurement of materials and funds used for its nuclear weapons and missile development programs.

Yoon made the remark in a video message sent to the High-Level Political Meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative(PSI) that kicked off on Jeju Island on Tuesday.

The meeting came as the PSI marks the 20th anniversary since its inception by the Bush administration to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction(WMD), their delivery systems and related materials.

Yoon said that despite global efforts, WMD threats are growing and the international security environment is becoming more serious.

The president noted the significance of the PSI meeting occurring amid the increasing importance of strengthening nonproliferation systems and preventing the spread of WMDs in light of North Korea’s unprecedented nuclear and missile provocations.

U.S. President Joe Biden also sent a message to the PSI gathering in which he underlined that the willingness to prevent and bring an end to the spread of WMDs has never been more important.

In the message read by U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie Jenkins, Biden said there is serious and consistent concern that WMDs will fall into the wrong hands in various parts of the world.