Gyeongju: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday he expects to resume inter-Korean dialogue following his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
According to Anadolu Agency, Lee welcomed Xi's first visit to South Korea in 11 years for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. Lee expressed hope that the meeting would lay a foundation for 'tangible results.' He also cited recent high-level exchanges between Beijing and Pyongyang as a positive step that could help reopen channels with North Korea. Lee emphasized the importance of Seoul and Beijing strengthening their strategic communication and utilizing current conditions to work toward resuming dialogue with North Korea.
Lee stated that regional security is of critical importance, noting that Pyongyang has not yet responded to Seoul's offers to restart inter-Korean dialogue since he took office in June this year. On the economic front, Lee highlighted a shift in bilateral cooperation from a 'vertical structure' to a 'horizontal one,' stressing the need for a 'mutually beneficial' partnership.
South Korea and China signed memorandums of understanding on services and trade, as well as on a currency swap. An additional agreement addressed joint responses to voice phishing and online scams. Xi Jinping urged both countries to 'work together to practice genuine multilateralism and safeguard the multilateral trading system.' He called for exploration in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, green industries, and the silver economy.
Xi emphasized that China and South Korea 'are important close neighbors that cannot be moved away, and cooperation partners that cannot be separated.' He expressed Beijing's readiness to work with Seoul to 'enhance communication, deepen cooperation,' and advance the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership. Xi's visit marks his first since 2014, during the presidency of Park Geun-hye, when bilateral relations were considered at their 'peak.' The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, and bilateral trade reached $267.6 billion in 2024, according to official data.