Leaders of South Korea and the European Union urged North Korea on Wednesday to call off its planned rocket launch, give up its nuclear programs and improve its human rights records, a joint statement said.

The appeal came after President Lee Myung-bak held summit talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. The EU leaders have been in Seoul for the Nuclear Security Summit that concluded two days of meetings Tuesday.

"The leaders shared their grave concern over North Korea's announcement" of the rocket launch plan, "emphasizing that the launch would be a clear violation of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and contrary to its recent commitments," the two sides said in a joint press statement.

"The leaders together called on North Korea to refrain from the announced launch. They continue to urge North Korea to comply with its international obligations, in particular, by abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs," the statement said.

The sides also voiced concern over the gravity of the North Korean human rights situation and urged the autocratic regime to "display genuine efforts to improve the human rights of its people, the statement said.

North Korea said earlier this month that it plans to launch a long-range rocket next month to put what it calls a satellite into orbit, a move seen widely as a pretext that the provocative nation has long used to mask banned ballistic missile tests.

The rocket plan sparked strong denunciations from the international community, but Pyongyang said Tuesday that it will press ahead with the liftoff claiming it has a sovereign and legitimate right to peaceful use of space.

Lee and the EU leaders also expressed "their deepening concerns" over Iran's nuclear program, including the possibility of its use for military purposes, and urged Tehran to "faithfully fulfill its international obligations," the statement said.

The bloodshed in Syria was also discussed, with the two sides calling on the government of President Bashar al-Assad "to immediately put an end" to all violence and human rights violations, and meet the aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy and a better future.

They also agreed to cooperate closely to fight terrorism in waters off Somalia.

On a free trade agreement between the two sides, which provisionally entered into force last year, the two sides agreed to work together for its full implementation that they said will further facilitate bilateral economic cooperation and promote mutual benefits of the deal. (Yonhap News)