President Xi Jinping's Visit to South Korea in the First Half of the Year, Foreign Ministry Says "No Change in Both Countries' Positions"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to South Korea in the first half of this year, "There is no change in the joint position between the two countries that it will take place in the first half of the year."

On the 7th, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained this to reporters, saying, "There is no change in the positions of both sides, and it should be understood that this has not changed from what the government has explained so far." This was in response to reports that President Xi's visit had been postponed to the second half of this year.

The official added, "Both sides are continuously consulting on the specific timing of the visit while monitoring the COVID-19 situation."

Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that non-face-to-face consultations are ongoing regarding the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the United States. The official said, "(Face-to-face consultations) are difficult under the current circumstances," and added, "It seems that embassy contacts are much easier in Washington than in Seoul."

Earlier, spokesperson Kim In-cheol said at a regular briefing, "Unfortunately, some people have entered unpaid leave status due to the absence of an applicable agreement locally," and added, "The situation needs to improve quickly, and the government is reviewing measures to address this comprehensively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.