Moon to hold bilateral summit with Abe in China on Dec. 24: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a state banquet held at Cheong Wa Dae for Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Dec. 18. Yonhap

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold one-one-one talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in China next week, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday, saying their meeting is "of great significance."

Their Christmas Eve meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, will be first official summit in 15 months between the leaders amid soured Seoul-Tokyo ties over a trade fight stemming from a historical issue.

They plan to "exchange opinions on pending issues" related to bilateral relations, Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-chong told reporters.

"Given the difficulty in relations between the two sides, (you) can say that the meeting is of great significance itself," he said at a press briefing.

It's expected to serve as a chance for maintaining momentum in dialogue between the neighboring countries and producing a breakthrough in efforts to improve their ties, Kim said.

Moon and Abe had their previous formal summit in September last year on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session. In November, they had a brief "impromptu" bilateral meeting in Bangkok just ahead of the ASEAN Plus Three summit.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for the construction completion ceremony of the New National Stadium, the venue for next year's opening and closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics and track and field, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. AP

Moon and Abe are scheduled to visit Chengdu for an annual trilateral summit that will be hosted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Moon also plans to hold separate talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday during a stopover in Beijing en route to Chengdu.

During his two-day stay in Chengdu, meanwhile, Moon will participate in a "business summit" to be joined by business leaders of the three regional powers.

In the three-way summit, the eighth of its kind, which is to take place on Tuesday, Moon, Abe and Li will assess achievements in tripartite cooperation so far and discuss ways for further development, especially as the launch of their formal cooperative system marks its 20th anniversary in 2019.

They will also touch on regional and international security situations including the Korea peace process.

"In particular, President Moon plans to explain about our government's efforts for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishment of permanent peace and request constructive contributions by China and Japan," Kim said. (Yonhap)