South Korean President Moon Jae-in had a meeting with former British Prime Minister Theresa May at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday and expressed hope for the two nations to continue forward-looking bilateral cooperation.

He noted that Britain is a "core partner" that shares basic and universal values with South Korea, having dispatched many troops to help it fight against North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.

This year, in particular, marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the war, he told May in front of pool reporters at the outset of their meeting.

The president requested her support for South Korea and Britain to strengthen their forward-looking cooperation.

Moon attached a "special meaning" to his meeting with May, as she is the first high-profile foreign guest who he has greeted since the new coronavirus was first reported in South Korea early this year.

May said that South Korea is an exemplary country in terms of the virus response.

She added South Korea and Britain have maintained friendly cooperative relations and those who were sacrificed during the Korean War should be remembered, though it is dubbed the Forgotten War.

She hoped for stronger partnerships between Seoul and London, especially in the trade and science-technology fields.

May was on a visit to Seoul for a private forum, her first known trip to South Korea. (Yonhap)