South Korea and France vowed Thursday to jointly tackle North Korea's provocations and human rights abuses as they marked a key anniversary in their bilateral ties.

At a forum celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault, noted the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and the acute suffering of its people.

"North Korea, from the outset of the year, is threatening the entire world with its fourth nuclear test, which was followed by the launch of a long-range ballistic missile," Yun said in a keynote speech, referring to the nuclear test on Jan. 6 and rocket launch on Feb. 7. (Yonhap)