German president in Seoul: N Korea must end missile tests

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the latest North Korean missile tests on Friday, calling on Pyongyang to immediately halt the launches during an official visit to South Korea.

Since the beginning of the year, an unprecedented series of tests had been observed, Steinmeier said after talks in Seoul with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol. The bout of missile launches over the past days had considerably aggravated the situation, he added.

According to Seoul, North Korea has fired more than two dozen missiles towards the open sea since Wednesday, including what South Korea believes to be a nuclear-capable missile with a range of several thousand kilometres.

"This escalation is unacceptable and the regime in Pyongyang alone is responsible for it," Steinmeier said.

North Korea's latest missile tests "violate UN Security Council resolutions and they endanger international security," he added.

Steinmeier called on North Korea to "fully implement the decisions of the UN Security Council" and "begin serious negotiations" on dismantling the country's nuclear missile programme.

Germany had great respect for South Korea's tireless efforts to restart negotiations with the aim of denuclearizing North Korea, Steinmeier said, assuring Seoul of his country's support in the process.

Since the end of September, North Korea has been conducting a series of missile tests in the face of international criticism. The issue is due to be discussed by the UN Security Council on Friday.

Also Friday, more than 80 South Korean fighter jets took to the skies as a precautionary measure in response to North Korean military air exercises, with more than 180 North Korean fighter jets detected in the country's airspace. No border violations were reported by the early evening.

During his visit, Steinmeier paid his respects following the fatal stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul that left more than 150 people dead, expressing "heartfelt sympathy" to Koreans on behalf of his country.

In an official visit to the South Korean capital, Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender laid white chrysanthemums at the official memorial in Seoul on Friday. They also paused for a minute of remembrance and signed the book of condolence.

"We mourn with the Korean people. Our thoughts are with them," Steinmeier said afterwards. "Friendship shows itself not only in good times, but also in the sad times. And that applies to the friendship between Germany and Korea. We are at Korea's side in this sad hour."

The tragedy occurred during Halloween celebrations in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon after crowds poured into a narrow side street late on Saturday night. The exact circumstances of the tragedy were initially unclear. According to the Yonhap news agency, there were rumours of mass panic.

Witnesses said the narrow streets around the scene of the tragedy were so crowded that it was difficult for the emergency services to make their way through to help the victims.

"A festival that people here were looking forward to with great joy and happiness ended in a deadly disaster," Steinmeier said in Seoul, where the flags were flying at half-mast.

"It is a personal concern for my wife and me to remember the victims here on site. Our sympathy lies with the relatives, with the friends of the victims who have lost their loved ones."

Steinmeier and Büdenbender arrived in the South Korean capital on Thursday evening following an official visit to Japan.

The German president was also scheduled hold talks of a political nature with Prime Minister Han Duck Soo, amid the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.