Britain and South Korea will sign a defence agreement during a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol this week to jointly enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea, the British government said on Tuesday.

The agreement will support closer relations between Britain's Royal Navy and the South Korean navy to counter smuggling in the East China Sea which is aimed at bypassing international sanctions, Britain said. (Reporting by Sarah Young, Writing by Kylie MacLellan)