South Korea's top diplomat has requested that New Zealand assist in its efforts to prevent North Korea from taking additional provocative acts, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, in talks with counterpart Murray McCully, emphasized the importance of the international community sending a unified message to the North.

Yun was on a visit to Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand following a trip to Australia, where he had 2+2 high-level security talks.

"Minister Yun requested active cooperation from New Zealand, a non-standing member of the U.N. Security Council, so that North Korea will not make any strategic provocations," the ministry said.

The two sides also agreed to cooperate closely for the early ratification and effectuation of a bilateral free trade agreement signed in March, it added.

South Korea and New Zealand have pushed for the "substantial upgrading" of their partnership since Prime Minister John Key's trip here in March.

Yun earlier paid a tribute at the Korean War Memorial in Auckland to the New Zealand troops dispatched to fight alongside the South against the North in the 1950-53 conflict.

The minister plans to head to Fiji on Monday. (Yonhap)