South Korea has called for close cooperation with its regional partners in responding to North Korea's terrorist acts at a gathering of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

During a meeting at the forum on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime, South Korea mentioned the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Seoul said the murder was clearly a terrorist attack using the deadly VX nerve agent, a chemical weapon banned under international law.

Seoul expressed concern that North Korea, a member of the regional forum, mobilized citizens of other ARF member states to carry out a terrorist act in an ARF member nation.

South Korea called for cooperation to prevent similar terrorist incidents. Delegations of the U.S., Japan and Canada also expressed concern over Kim Jong-nam's murder.

South Korean delegates also cited Pyongyang's continued nuclear development, cyber crimes by North Korean hackers and human trafficking of North Korean defectors.

This year, North Korea did not attend the meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime.

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