Updated

South Korea's president has urged African leaders to support international efforts to denuclearize North Korea.

Speaking to the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, President Park Geun-hye said Friday that she wants African "cooperation in urging North Korea to give up its nuclear program."

She also said her government will work with African countries to combat violent extremism.

Park said she was offering her country to be an "African companion" in development matters and presented a blueprint for Africa-South Korea relations that she hopes will boost trade, education and cultural cooperation.

Park's visit to the African Union is the first for a South Korean leader. She arrived in Ethiopia Wednesday and met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. She is also scheduled to visit Uganda and Kenya.