'Visit to China' Foreign Minister Cho Hyun: "Korea and China to Consult on North Korean Issues"

Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who departed for Beijing, China, on the 17th for his first South Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting since taking office, stated, "Since Kim Jong Un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, visited China recently, I plan to hear about that and also consult with China on North Korea-related issues."

Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is answering questions from the press on the 17th before departing for Beijing, China, at Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Minister Cho made these remarks to reporters at Gimpo International Airport on the morning of his departure. Last May, his predecessor, Cho Tae-yul, visited China, and according to diplomatic protocol, it would have been Wang Yi's turn to visit South Korea. Therefore, Minister Cho's visit to China is drawing attention as an unusual move. On September 3, Chairman Kim Jong Un unexpectedly attended a multilateral event at the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day military parade, and a North Korea-China summit was also held. It appears that Minister Cho will communicate with the Chinese side regarding these developments. When asked about the omission of the term "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" from the North Korea-China summit, Minister Cho said, "Our government has consistently urged China to play a constructive role on North Korea-related issues," adding, "We will once again request China to play a constructive and important role in this regard."

Meanwhile, there is also interest in whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju next month. Minister Cho said, "I understand that President Xi will visit South Korea," adding, "We will also discuss specific details regarding his visit."

Regarding the illegal structures installed by China in the West Sea, Minister Cho stated, "If there are undesirable issues, we must clearly point them out and highlight the problems," adding, "We consider the issue of maritime structures in the West Sea to be one of these problems. We will raise the issue and seek prompt solutions."

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