President Lee to Dispatch Special Delegation to China During Korea-US and Korea-Japan Summits

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President Lee Jaemyung is reportedly planning to dispatch a special delegation to China to coincide with the Korea-Japan summit and the Korea-US summit. This move is seen as an effort to manage relations with China while meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan. President Lee is scheduled to hold the Korea-Japan summit in Japan on the 23rd and the Korea-US summit in Washington, DC on the 25th.

Yonhap News Agency

According to sources within the ruling party on the 18th, President Lee intends to send a special delegation to China on August 24, the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China. The delegation will reportedly include former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeongseok, Representative Kim Taenyon, who serves as the head of the Korea-China Parliamentarians' Friendship Association, and Representative Park Jeong. Noh Jaehun, the son of former President Roh Tae-woo and chairman of the East Asia Cultural Center, who previously chaired the Social and Cultural Subcommittee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Korea-China Future Development Committee, is also expected to join the delegation. An official from the presidential office stated, "We are in discussions with the Chinese side," but added, "It is difficult to disclose specific details at this time."

August 24 marks the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, which began in 1992. The special delegation is expected to meet with Wang Yi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Office and concurrently the foreign minister, to deliver a personal letter from President Lee. They are also expected to discuss the possibility of President Xi Jinping visiting Korea in connection with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled to be held in Gyeongju at the end of October. President Xi has not visited South Korea for 11 years, since May 2014. A diplomatic source commented, "This decision appears to take into account South Korea's relationship with China, its largest trading partner, ahead of President Lee's meetings with the leaders of Japan and the United States."

Meanwhile, the government is reportedly considering holding simultaneous events in Seoul and Beijing on August 24 to commemorate the anniversary of diplomatic ties. Former Speaker Park Byeongseok is also expected to deliver President Lee's congratulatory message to the Chinese side in Beijing on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

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