SEOUL — South Korea and New Zealand on Wednesday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas including economy, trade, science, and education during a meeting of their leaders here, according to the South Korean presidential office.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon who arrived here earlier in the day for an official two-day visit, the first since he took office in November 2023.

Under a joint statement, the two sides agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment under the two-way free trade agreement (FTA) which took effect in 2015, planning to launch a bilateral economic security dialogue regularly.

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They focused on bilateral cooperation opportunities in advanced science and technology following the five sessions of the joint committee on science and technology, agreeing to foster a space industry led by the private sector.

It was agreed that discussions will be conducted to solidify cooperation between national disaster management agencies of the two countries, and student programs continued with the beneficiaries of scholarship expanded.

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The two sides also agreed to boost the exchange of information and views on regional and international issues