President Lee Jae Myung’s national security aide said Friday that there is a chance of Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping sitting down for talks later this year, though details are still being arranged.
This would be Xi’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years, following a July 2014 visit to hold talks with ex-conservative President Park Geun-hye.
“The possibility remains open as to Xi’s visit to South Korea. If so, there is a chance of a bilateral meeting,” Wi Sung-lac, director of the presidential National Security Office, said in a briefing on Lee’s trip to the United States to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Wi did not elaborate on how long Xi’s trip to South Korea would be, or whether Xi would meet Lee at the presidential office in Seoul, separate from his attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Wi’s remarks came in response to a local news report that Xi might be meeting the South Korean president, with the possibility of Xi making a state visit to South Korea.
Xi is one of many leaders that South Korea invited to attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting scheduled from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 in Gyeongju, alongside US President Donald Trump and other leaders of APEC member economies.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Wednesday during his visit to Beijing for ministerial-level talks that he was assured of Xi’s attendance at the APEC meeting in principle, and that his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi would visit South Korea in October.
consnow@heraldcorp.com
