Moon's China visit will boost bilateral ties: FM
By Yi Whan-woo
President Moon Jae-in’s scheduled visit to China this week will serve a “milestone” in fully restoring bilateral ties, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Monday.
Speaking at an international conference hosted by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul, Kang also called for opening an effective channel between North Korea and the outside world, saying “It will be critical to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.”
“Our President’s visit to China is expected to become a significant milestone in recovering mutual trust between South Korea and China and helping put normal relations back on track,” Kang said in her keynote speech.
Moon will make a state visit to China from Wednesday to Saturday. It comes after the two neighbors agreed in October to restore their ties frayed by deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea and Beijing’s economic sanctions against Seoul.
“Our government was able to come up with momentum to normalize the South Korea-China relations in October following its countless efforts to overcome difficulties and recover mutual trust,” Kang said.
Regarding North Korea, Kang said its third intercontinental ballistic missile test on Nov. 29 poses threat to not only the Korean Peninsula but also to the whole world.
She said the international community will never allow North Korea’s nuclear program and rather bolster diplomatic efforts to bring it back to the dialogue.
“We must work together to open a new, effective channel that can deliver the united voice of the international community to isolated Pyongyang,” she said.
Kang especially underscored a need to resume cross-border reunions of the families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and restoring a military hotline across the Demilitarized Zone.
She said South Korea’s diplomatic efforts centers on its alliance with the U.S. and that the two allies should make best out of it to denuclearize North Korea.