Foreign ministry says no details finalized for Wang Yi’s South Korea visit

A photo released by the official Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 10. EPA-Yonhap

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that no specific arrangements have been finalized for Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s potential visit to Seoul, adding that the two sides are still communicating over the matter.

The ministry also rejected reports that the visit had been delayed due to recent changes to Korea’s electronic arrival card system, describing the revision as “a simple administrative and technical adjustment” to improve traveler convenience. It stressed that this is unrelated to the scheduling of Wang’s trip, which is seen as a follow-up to the Korea-China summit in January.

A foreign ministry official said the change to the entry system has no bearing on the timing of Wang’s visit, adding that “it would be difficult to interpret the scheduling issue as reflecting any problem in bilateral relations.”

The official said the two sides have been communicating on various issues and that discussions on the visit are ongoing.

The two sides are maintaining close strategic communication through multiple channels, including a Korea-China Joint Economic Committee meeting held Monday in Beijing, where Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina met her Chinese counterpart.

Local media reports, however, said China had put Wang’s visit on hold after objecting to Seoul’s decision last month to remove the label “China (Taiwan)” from the departure and destination sections of the electronic entry form.

Reports said Seoul and Beijing had been coordinating for Wang’s visit since earlier this year, but the Chinese side objected after the change was made.

The issue emerged after the Korean government announced on March 31 that it would eliminate the departure and destination selection fields altogether from the electronic arrival card, following complaints from Taiwan over the wording.

The revision applies to all travelers entering Korea, as part of a broader adjustment to the electronic reporting system.

China reacted strongly to the change.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on April 14 that Taiwan is part of China and that describing it as “China (Taiwan)” is entirely natural, signaling Beijing’s dissatisfaction with Seoul’s move and reiterating its “one China” principle.

Seoul had sought Wang’s visit as part of broader diplomatic efforts ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Korean Peninsula issues could be discussed.

The government had been coordinating the visit following meetings between President Lee Jae Myung and Xi in November last year and January this year, viewing it as a key opportunity for coordination before the summit.

Wang’s recent trip to Pyongyang added to Seoul’s interest in arranging the visit, as it seeks to better understand North Korea’s position ahead of the expected U.S.-China summit.

During that trip, Wang held talks with North Korean officials, including foreign ministerial-level discussions, and met with leader Kim Jong-un.

Local reports said the South Korean government is still working to secure China’s support for the visit and that discussions have not reached the stage of working out specific dates. They also suggested that Beijing has yet to provide clear guidance on Wang’s visit, indicating that little progress has been made in arranging the trip.

A diplomatic source was quoted as saying the two sides remain in close communication on various issues but are not yet exchanging views on a concrete schedule.

Officials also said Seoul had hoped Wang might visit Korea soon after his trip to North Korea, using the occasion to discuss the Korean Peninsula situation in greater depth, including developments involving Pyongyang and Beijing.