LIMA, May 25 (BERNAMA-NNN-ANDINA) -- South Korea is willing to make every effort to grant technology transfers to Peru in sectors such as defence, visiting South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said on Thursday.

Kim, who is on a tour of Latin America countries, said his country will support Peru's "ambitious plans" to establish a center for science and technology.

"Through technology transfer, South Korea will support Peru in areas of joint production of training planes and navy ships," Kim told reporters after meeting Peruvian President Ollanta Humala in Lima.

Kim also announced that a centre for transnational cooperation in agriculture will open next week in Lima and a South Korea-Latin America marine research lab will be operational soon.

The South Korean minister arrived in Peru on Thursday from Colombia, on a tour that will also take him to Chile and Brazil.

Kim also said that Peru is very important for his country in order to gain access to and improve relations with Latin America.

"Peru is a stronghold for Korea, to launch into other Latin American countries and to strengthen relations with countries of this region," he added.

Kim also said that his visit came just over two weeks after the Peruvian president's trip to Seoul, where he met with his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak and agreed to elevate relations to a strategic partnership.

-- BERNAMA-NNN-ANDINA