South Korea and China were to hold working-level security talks in Seoul Monday to discuss an array of bilateral and regional security issues such as the situation with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.
The meeting, the second of its kind since December 2013, comes after North Korea recently offered an olive branch to Seoul by proposing a summit between the political leaders of the two countries.
But Pyongyang's relations with the United States have deteriorated, with Washington announcing fresh sanctions on the North last week in response to its alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures.
China has also reaffirmed its stance of zero tolerance for North Korea's nuclear ambitions amid strained ties with Pyongyang.
The six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have been dormant since December 2008 when the North left the negotiating table.
Now Pyongyang is demanding the unconditional resumption of the talks, but Seoul and Washington said that the North should first show its commitment toward denuclearization.
Officials at foreign and defense ministries from Seoul and Beijing may discuss the recent signing of a military arrangement among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to share information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, government sources said.
South Korea and Japan will share military secrets on the North's nuclear and missile threats via the U.S., which has bilateral military intelligence-sharing accords with each of its two Asian allies.
China largely remains cautious about the three-way pact as it could lead Washington to move closer to Northeast Asia at a time when the U.S. is seen as wary of a rising China.
South Korea and China agreed to launch the working-level security dialogue in June 2013 during the summit talks between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. (Yonhap)
The meeting, the second of its kind since December 2013, comes after North Korea recently offered an olive branch to Seoul by proposing a summit between the political leaders of the two countries.
But Pyongyang's relations with the United States have deteriorated, with Washington announcing fresh sanctions on the North last week in response to its alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures.
China has also reaffirmed its stance of zero tolerance for North Korea's nuclear ambitions amid strained ties with Pyongyang.
The six-party talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia have been dormant since December 2008 when the North left the negotiating table.
Now Pyongyang is demanding the unconditional resumption of the talks, but Seoul and Washington said that the North should first show its commitment toward denuclearization.
Officials at foreign and defense ministries from Seoul and Beijing may discuss the recent signing of a military arrangement among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to share information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, government sources said.
South Korea and Japan will share military secrets on the North's nuclear and missile threats via the U.S., which has bilateral military intelligence-sharing accords with each of its two Asian allies.
China largely remains cautious about the three-way pact as it could lead Washington to move closer to Northeast Asia at a time when the U.S. is seen as wary of a rising China.
South Korea and China agreed to launch the working-level security dialogue in June 2013 during the summit talks between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. (Yonhap)
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