Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has met the President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul.
Among the issues discussed were gender equality and LGBT rights in the context of the societal progress Ireland has made in the last 20 years.
South Korea's constitutional court recently upheld a law banning same-sex relations in the military.
During the meeting, President Yoon congratulated the island of Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The Taoiseach invited the president to pay a return visit to Ireland.
Mr Varadkar said: "In my meeting with President Yoon we discussed how we can deepen our political, economic, educational and cultural ties..
"We discussed our commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.
"I congratulated the President on Korea's election to the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-25 term and offered Ireland’s assistance, given our own recent term on the Council.
"I also assured President Yoon of our shared commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation.
"The global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine was a major topic of discussion, along with the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel," he added.
Earlier, the Taoiseach laid a wreath at a monument honouring the Irish people who lost their lives in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
It was not just soldiers from Ireland who were killed, seven Columban priests and an Anglican nun also died.
"150 people from Ireland gave their lives fighting in the Korean War," Mr Varadkar said.
"This is a very important connection between Ireland and Korea and one that we honour and want to continue," he added.
Speaking to reporters, he was also asked if there would be a voting pact between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party in upcoming elections.
"I don't anticipate a formal voting pact between the Government parties in the local and European elections or in the general election," he said.
"We are separate parties with separate policy programmes and separate traditions so I think we will go to the country in that vein.
"But I do think there are people who vote for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Greens who do want to transfer to each other in much greater numbers than in the past and that makes sense because we have worked well together we are getting people's work done and the potential exists for this Government to continue beyond the next election and for us to keep populism out.".
Asked if he would step down as the leader of Fine Gael if the party is voted out of Government, Mr Varadkar said there were no elections for quite some time and that his intention is to lead the party into the next general election to gain votes and gain seats.
Mr Varadkar also said that Sinn Féin's foreign policies would "weaken Ireland's influence in the world".
He said: "They have been very critical of the European Union and its institutions not just historically but also recently for a country that need to have good relations with the US, UK, other EU member states.
"I think it is the case Sinn Féin would weaken and damage our relations with lots of different other countries and that would have consequences."
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Responding, Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley said Mr Varadkar "can't help himself when a microphone is put in front of him".
He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland: "We do business with people internationally of all political persuasions, we're grown ups.
"We maintain strong links with governments, regardless of what view they represent as regards European Union.
"We have a very progressive line on that, where we see something that needs to be changed, we'll say it.
"We won’t just tow the line like Leo and the rest of them."
