South Korea will continue to push its outreach to the incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States as part of efforts to keep cooperative ties and policy consistency against the growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, the country's top diplomat said Thursday.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se added that he will seek to visit the US "as soon as possible" to hold talks with his Washington counterpart and discuss continued cooperation under the Trump administration, which will take office on Jan. 20.

"We will closely talk not just with the Obama administration but also with the Trump administration in a way that will produce a swift and unified response to the North's nuclear threat and other issues," Yun said during a meeting with lawmakers.

"We, in particular, will more actively seek close coordination with the U.S. through high-level meetings including the foreign ministry's visit to the US at a mutually convenient date and as soon as possible," he added.

Yun noted that he will also carry out comprehensive outreach efforts to the incoming administration in Washington, while calling for continuity in cooperation between the two countries on major policies going forward.

Efforts have been made to build a reliable contact point through which the Seoul government can continue cooperating with the US on the North's nuclear issue and other key concerns since the surprise win by Trump in the November election.

Following parliament's vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye, worries have also been growing further that a leadership vacuum could hamper summit diplomacy with the US and other countries.

Yun said that "active" outreach to the US in times of political transition helped reconfirm that key members of the new government have a strong commitment to the alliance with South Korea and are willing to continue cooperation on major issues.

Yun vowed to stay vigilant and ready to take stern action against any types of provocations the North could take in the process of political transition in the US to counter the growing threat from the North, Yun said that he will work together with countries such as the U.S., Japan and the European Union in implementing the latest sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council, while also keeping strategic communication channels open to China and Russia.

"In accordance with our strategic roadmap through such channels as multilateral and bilateral meetings, we will muster all our diplomatic assets to take steps aimed at mounting pressure against the North," he said. (Yonhap)