South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed cautious optimism about diplomacy with North Korea, telling Chinese President Xi Jinping he was “very positive” about the “favourable conditions” for resuming dialogue. His optimism was immediately crushed by a statement from Pyongyang.
During their summit in Gyeongju, Lee asked Xi to help “strengthen strategic communication” to bring North Korea back to the table, based on a phased denuclearisation plan.
On the same day, North Korea, a close ally of China, released a statement dismissing Lee’s agenda as an “unrealisable pipe dream.” The North has repeatedly stated it will never talk to the South, which it now calls its “main enemy.”
President Xi’s visit, his first in 11 years, focused on strengthening bilateral ties. He signed seven economic agreements with Lee, including a currency swap.
A South Korean official said China was willing to cooperate for peace, but Chinese state media made no mention of the North Korea discussions. Both leaders did agree that direct US-North Korea dialogue was the “most important” track.
Picture Credit: commons.wikimedia.org
