President Yoon Suk Yeol has stressed that the international community must demonstrate that its will toward denuclearization is stronger than Pyongyang’s tenacity to recklessly develop nuclear weapons and missiles, in order to nudge North Korea back to talks.

A presidential official said in a briefing that Yoon made the remark during his speech at the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday as he called on the leaders of NATO allies and partner countries to provide continuous cooperation and support.

Yoon said the North’s nuclear and missile programs are in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pose a serious challenge to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the international community.

The president then said the international community is faced with multiple security threats that cannot be solved by one country alone. He said NATO’s interest in the Indo-Pacific as outlined in its Strategic Concept demonstrates a clear awareness of this perception.

Yoon said South Korea and NATO have made headway in security cooperation in the areas of politics and military since establishing a global partnership in 2006, adding that South Korea will play an even bigger role in that partnership.

In particular, Yoon said he hopes to engage in close cooperation with NATO allies in the fields of economic and cyber security.

Yoon is the first South Korean president to deliver a speech at a NATO conference.