S. Korea’s president hopes to renew inter-Korean dialogue
(MENAFN) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed optimism about reviving inter-Korean talks following his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to reports.
Lee welcomed Xi’s arrival in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju — marking Xi’s first visit to the country in 11 years.
He said he hoped the discussions would pave the way for “tangible results” in both diplomatic and economic cooperation.
Citing recent high-level contacts between Beijing and Pyongyang, Lee said these developments could serve as a bridge to reopening dialogue with North Korea. He stressed the need for Seoul and Beijing to “strengthen their strategic communication, make use of these conditions and work toward resuming dialogue with North Korea.” “It can never be overstated how important regional security is,” he added.
Since taking office in June, Lee has repeatedly offered to restart talks with Pyongyang, but North Korea has not yet responded.
On economic matters, Lee noted that cooperation between Seoul and Beijing has evolved from a “vertical structure” to a “horizontal one,” underscoring the importance of building a “mutually beneficial” partnership.
During the visit, South Korea and China signed several memorandums of understanding covering services, trade, and a currency swap agreement. Both countries also committed to enhancing joint responses to cross-border crimes such as voice phishing and online scams.
Xi, for his part, urged both sides to “work together to practice genuine multilateralism and safeguard the multilateral trading system.” He also encouraged cooperation in advanced sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), biopharmaceuticals, green technologies, and the silver economy.
China and South Korea “are important close neighbors that cannot be moved away, and cooperation partners that cannot be separated,” Xi told Lee, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry. He said Beijing is prepared to “enhance communication, deepen cooperation,” and advance the strategic cooperative partnership while contributing to “regional peace and development.”
The two nations established diplomatic relations in 1992. Official figures show that bilateral trade between them reached $267.6 billion in 2024. Xi’s previous visit to South Korea took place in 2014 during the presidency of Park Geun-hye, a period widely described as the high point of bilateral relations.
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