SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany expressed support Thursday for South Korea"s policy of freeing the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and working peacefully to resolve the issue with North Korea.

The Hungarian premier revealed his position during a summit meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, according to Roh"s spokesman Kim Jong-min.

North Korea declared itself a nuclear power on Feb. 10 and said it would indefinitely boycott six-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programs, citing Washington"s hostile attitude. Three previous rounds of the multilateral talks failed to produce tangible results.

Roh and Gyurcsany also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas such as a crackdown on international terrorism, the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, reform of the United Nations and other major issues of mutual concern.

The two leaders pledged to develop a future-oriented bilateral relationship by increasing trade and investment and enhancing their cooperation in the automobile and information technology sectors.

The Hungarian premier said his visit was geared at attracting South Korean investment in Hungary, noting its position as the hub of Central Europe after joining the European Union last year.

At the end of the summit, the leaders witnessed a signing ceremony for greater economic cooperation, hoping the pact will serve as the comprehensive legal basis for bettering bilateral ties in this area.

They failed to sign an agreement granting social security tax exceptions but announced plans to sign it as soon as possible.

In the evening, the two leaders met again over dinner at Cheong Wa Dae.

"The two nations have a lot of things in common," Roh told his Hungarian counterpart at the dinner. "Our languages and taste for spicy foods are similar. Also the two countries have a history of protecting their national pride and identity in the face of challenges from more powerful neighboring countries."
He went on to say that the Hungarian leader"s political philosophy based on social justice and progress would greatly contribute to improving the welfare and life quality of the Hungarian people.

The Hungarian premier flew into Seoul Wednesday and is scheduled to depart Saturday.

Gyurcsany is the third Hungarian premier to visit Seoul since the two sides normalized ties in 1989.

Hungary is South Korea"s largest trading partner in Central Europe, with two-way trading volume exceeding US$860 million for the first 11 months of 2004.

South Korea exported $750 million to Hungary and imported $110 million during the period.

South Korean investment in its European trading partner reached $380 million as of the end of 2004, with Samsung Electronics Co., Samsung SDI, LG Electronics Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and 19 other Korean firms having major interests there.