NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in South Korea today as part of a tour aimed at strengthening ties with US allies amid the war in Ukraine and growing rivalry with China, and he will visit Japan on Monday.

Stoltenberg met with Foreign Minister Park Jin in the South Korean capital Seoul, and will later meet with President Yun Suk-yeol and Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup.

"NATO is concerned about North Korea's reckless missile tests and nuclear program, while the war in Ukraine has unintended consequences for Asia," Stoltenberg said at the start of the meeting with Park, referring to suspicions that North Korea is providing military support to Russia.

"This just highlights how interconnected we are," he said.

The two emphasized the "common values" between NATO member states and South Korea.

"Given today's unprecedented global challenges, we believe that solidarity among countries that share the values ​​of freedom, democracy and the rule of law is more important than ever," Park said.

Stoltenberg will travel to Tokyo on Monday, where he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other Japanese officials.