Seoul, Jan 17 (IANS) The US has urged South Korea to join a US-led campaign to punish Iran over its controversial nuclear programme by reducing oil imports from the oil-rich country, Xinhua reported Tuesday.

“We are urging (our partners) to reduce their purchase of crude oil from Iran and their financial dealings with the central bank of Iran,” said Robert Einhorn, the US State Department’s special adviser for non-proliferation and arms control.

Einhorn was speaking to South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jae-Shin after arriving in Seoul Monday for a three-day trip involving talks with foreign and finance ministry officials, the Yonhap News Agency said.

Kim reaffirmed Seoul’s commitment to international efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

However, he expressed concern over possible economic fallout from the measure in a country that relies on Iran for 9.6 percent of its crude oil supplies.

“I do hope we closely cooperate with each other and try to minimise this adverse effect,” Kim told Einhorn.

The visit by Einhorn, who is accompanied by Daniel Glaser, the US Treasury’s deputy assistant secretary, came after the US slapped fresh economic sanctions on Iran by banning financial institutions doing business with Iran’s central bank from the US market.

The measure is seen as an attempt to cut off Iran’s oil revenue.