Prime minister visits alma mater in Beijing

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaking during a visit to Tsinghua University in Beijing, Tuesday. Courtesy of prime minister's office

BEIJING/SEOUL — Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok paid a visit to his alma mater, Tsinghua University, in Beijing on the second day of his trip to China on Tuesday and discussed relations between the two countries with University President Qiu Yong.

Kim, who earned a Master of Law degree from the prestigious school in 2010, said during the closed-door meeting with Qiu, also a secretary of the Communist Party of China, that studying at the university remains one of his most beautiful memories, according to his office.

The university is also an important producer of talent that lead China's present and future, Kim was quoted as saying, adding that he visited the university to encourage Korean students studying there and to think about how to move relations between the two countries forward.

Kim said the relations between Korea and China have steadily moved forward, despite various ups and downs, and he hopes the trend will continue in the future, and that exchanges between youths of the two countries are important in further developing the ties.

Qiu welcomed Kim, calling him a family member of Tsinghua University and saying Kim's visit shows how much effort he makes for the development of relations between the two countries.

Kim later visited Zhongguancun Exhibition Center and was briefed on China's artificial intelligence and other technologies. Zhongguancun is a district in Beijing, known as China's Silicon Valley.

Kim was scheduled to fly to the coastal city of Dalian for a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, amid speculation that he could meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines.

At the forum, Kim is scheduled to deliver a special address outlining Korea's innovative economic vision, according to his office. He will be the first Korean prime minister to attend the Summer Davos Forum in 10 years since then Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn did so in 2016.

It is Kim's first trip to China since taking office as the first prime minister of President Lee Jae Myung last year. He had planned to visit China in March for the annual Boao Forum for Asia, but the trip was canceled as he had to deal with the effects of the conflict in the Middle East.

It is expected to be Kim's last overseas trip as prime minister. He has already offered to resign to run for leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. President Lee has also nominated Han Seong-sook, minister for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, to succeed Kim as prime minister.