The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party will visit China next week to help South Korea’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and discuss regional issues, including North Korea, his party said Thursday.

Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu plans to embark a four-day trip on Monday to meet China’s Vice President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking politicians to ask for support for the eastern alpine city of PyeongChang’s Olympic bid and to discuss regional diplomatic issues, party officials said.

Sohn, considered a 2012 presidential hopeful, made a visit to Japan earlier this week to meet political leaders, expressing his views on political and economic issues, including the free trade agreement.

“Sohn’s visits to China and Japan are aimed at showing the opposition party’s role in diplomatic issues, including matters in the Korean Peninsula,” said Rep. Park Sun-sook, in charge of the party’s public relations.

China is North Korea’s last-remaining major ally and has propped up the impoverished, provocative neighbor with food and energy assistance and diplomatic support. Beijing is also the host of six-party talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear programs. 

(Yonhap News)