By Lee Hana

President Moon Jae-in met with Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh at Cheong Wa Dae on Jan. 15. They discussed ways to increase cooperation between Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, and the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula.

President Moon outlined his plans for a Northeast Asia Plus Community, an initiative that promotes peace and prosperity across the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the continental landmass of Eurasia. The president stressed that Mongolia, as one of Korea's most important partners, would play a major role in this scheme.

"Let's work together to elevate Korea-Mongolia relations and to forge a strategic partnership during my tenure," said President Moon.

Referring to last week's inter-Korean talks, Prime Minister Khurelsukh offered a positive outlook on North Korea's participation in the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. He also offered his full support for President Moon's peace-driven agenda.

Finally, the prime minister said that Mongolia cherishes its comprehensive partnership with Korea, and said that he hopes to expand cooperation with Korea across all areas in the years to come.

hlee10@korea.kr