Top nuclear envoy to visit China
By Jun Ji-hye
Seoul’s nuclear envoy Kim Hong-kyun will visit Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday to meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei for talks on the North Korean nuclear program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.
Kim’s planned visit comes only days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s special envoy, Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, wrapped up his three-day visit to the country’s traditional ally last week.
Seoul’s nuclear envoy is expected to seek direct feedback on the Chinese government’s talks with Ri.
On May 31, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced that Pyongyang and Beijing agreed to boost cooperation during talks between Ri and his Chinese counterpart Song Tao, minister of the International Department of the CCP.
“In the upcoming talks, South Korea and China will exchange views on the Korean Peninsula situation after the North’s seventh party congress, thorough implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolution against North Korea, deterrence of the North’s additional provocations, and the overall bilateral cooperative measures about the nuclear issues concerning North Korea,” a ministry official said.