The officials issued a statement after their meeting as part of Pelosi’s official tour of Asia, which sparked strong international criticism and increased tensions between Beijing and Washington over her visit to Taiwan.

In the statement, Pelosi and Kim attacked the DPRK directly and described it as a threat due to the development of its defensive and nuclear capacity to protect its sovereignty.

They also pointed to the expansion of ties between Seoul and Washington in areas such as defense, security, economy and technology.

Following her stay in South Korea, Pelosi will visit Japan as part of her Asian tour, which also included Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Taiwan does not have official relations with the United States; however, it is one of the main reasons for tensions between Beijing and Washington, since the latter is the main supplier of weapons to the island and would be its biggest military ally in the event of a war with China.

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