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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a phone call with visiting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that her visit was a sign of deterrence against North Korea.

South Korea's head of state stressed to Pelosi that he will work closely with the US Congress to deepen the bilateral alliance, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea's first vice national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, told reporters that the Korean president spoke with Pelosi on the phone for 40 minutes.

Shortly before that, Pelosi met with South Korean Parliament Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and the two discussed regional security, economic cooperation and other issues.

Pelosi's two-day visit to South Korea also includes a visit to the village of Panminjeong, located between the two Koreas.

On the occasion of Pelosi's planned visit there, the South Korean president said that it will become a sign of deterrence of North Korea by South Korea and the United States, BTA informed.

Pelosi arrived in South Korea

According to Kim, the American representative said that the allies should jointly build a free and open Indo-Pacific order.

Officials previously said no face-to-face meeting between Yoon and Pelosi was planned because Yoon is on summer vacation.

Choi Yeon-bum, senior presidential secretary for public affairs, declined to comment on why there would not be a face-to-face meeting between Yoon and Pelosi.

Asked why Yun had not met with Pelosi, Choi told reporters: "Everything is decided in the national interest."

Pelosi arrived in Seoul yesterday evening amid heightened tensions between the United States and China following her visit to Taiwan.

China condemned Pelosi's trip and began military exercises around Taiwan in protest.

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