Yoon, British deputy PM agree to cooperate to promote democracy

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden on Wednesday, and agreed to cooperate closely to promote and defend democracy, the presidential office said. The meeting took place at the presidential office as Dowden was in Seoul to attend the Summit for Democracy hosted by South Korea this week. The two leaders "agreed to continue to cooperate closely so that the two countries can contribute to promoting and defending democracy," the presidential office said in a press release. Yoon noted the Downing Street Accord he signed with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his visit to London last November marked a "new milestone" in the development of bilateral relations and asked Dowden to pay special attention to ensure its faithful implementation. Dowden said the two countries have been cooperating closely in a wide range of sectors, including security, the economy, finance and climate issues, and that Britain places great importance on strengthening ties with South Korea, a nation sharing the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law. Yoon also noted that Britain is one of three countries, along with the United States and Australia, with which South Korea has agreed to hold regular 2+2 talks involving their foreign and defense ministers, and proposed using the talks to realize more concrete cooperation in the defense and security sectors. Yoon and Dowden additionally discussed issues related to the Korean Peninsula and the wider region. Source: Yonhap News Agency