South Korean and Chinese Foreign Ministers Discuss North Korea

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on November 13 for their first talks in approximately three months. Cho urged China to take a constructive role in returning North Korea to diplomatic dialogue, arguing that peace on the peninsula serves the shared interests of both nations. The ministers discussed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's October 24 visit to the border city of Dandong, which China characterized as being focused on economic cooperation rather than political affairs.

Following the meeting, Cho stated on November 14 that South Korea should neither have an "unfounded fear of China's rise" nor underestimate its potential. The two ministers also explored expanding cooperation in traditional and emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence and biomedicine.

These diplomatic engagements precede the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to attend the summit and a dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event will also feature meetings between President Xi, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss nuclear arms reductions.