President Yoon Suk-yeol, right, and Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, shake hands at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of presidential office

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Thursday and exchanged views on the ongoing North Korean nuclear stalemate and other issues, his office said.

During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon expressed concerns over the North's nuclear program and asked for the IAEA's participation in denuclearizing the country through strengthening of monitoring and inspection readiness posture regarding Pyongyang's nuclear activities, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said in a statement.

Grossi said the IAEA will do its best to deter the North's nuclear program and safeguard the global nonproliferation regime.

The IAEA chief arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for meetings with Seoul officials on issues ranging from the North's nuclear program to Japan's plan to discharge radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean in the coming spring. (Yonhap)