UK foreign minister looks to deepen security ties with Indonesia, South Korea

Foreign minister David Lammy will look to deepen Britain's security cooperation with Indonesia and South Korea during his visit to the two Asian countries in which he is also expected to discuss the clean energy transition.

His visit to South Korea comes days after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused North Korea of preparing to send 10,000 soldiers to help Moscow's war effort, raising U.S. concerns. NATO chief Mark Rutte has said there was no evidence of Pyongyang's presence at this stage.

Tensions have also been running high on the Korean peninsula following a series of missile tests this year by nuclear-armed North Korea.

"Our South Korean partners have stood side-by-side with us in defence of Ukraine whilst also working to preserve regional stability here on the Korean peninsula," Lammy said in a statement issued by his office.

"It is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of conflict, with North Korea supporting Russia and prolonging conflict on Europe's borders whilst their illegal weapons of mass destruction programme threatens regional security."

Lammy, elected in July after the Labour Party's landslide win, was recently in China where he promised "consistency" in Britain's approach to China and described his meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi as "constructive".

In Indonesia's capital city Jakarta, Lammy is due to attend the inauguration of President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Sunday.

In a visit designed to further enhance Britain's cooperation on security with South Korea and Indonesia - both of which are part of the G20 bloc of major economies - he is expected to visit South Korea's heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone.