Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday signaled that he may visit South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this year.
According to South Korea's Office of the National Assembly Speaker, Xi stated that Chinese authorities are considering his attendance at the APEC summit to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in October, adding, "It is customary for the Chinese president to attend the APEC summit."
Xi made the remark in a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who is visiting China from Wednesday to Sunday to strengthen diplomatic ties between Seoul and Beijing.
If it materializes, it would be Xi's first visit to South Korea in 11 years, since his last in 2014 under the conservative Park Geun-hye administration.
The meeting between the speaker and Xi took place in the afternoon at the Taiyangdao Hotel in Harbin, northeastern China. It marked Xi’s first official engagement with a senior South Korean official since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 last year.
Earlier in the day, Woo also attended a luncheon hosted by Xi at the hotel, which was held to welcome key figures attending the opening ceremony of the Harbin Asian Winter Games.
Alongside Xi and his spouse, Peng Liyuan, the event was attended by Woo and his spouse, Shin Kyung-hye, as well as International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
The speaker's multi-day visit to China is part of the National Assembly's broader efforts to strengthen South Korea's diplomatic relations, particularly in response to the fallout from the Dec. 3 martial law incident, which led to President Yoon’s impeachment and criminal indictment.
Earlier this week, the Office of the National Assembly Speaker announced the formation of two special delegations tasked with visiting the United States and Europe to promote diplomatic engagement on Woo's behalf.
The delegation to Europe, comprising Democratic Party of Korea Reps. Han Jeong-ae, Kwon Chil-seung and Park Sang-hyuk as well as People Power Party Reps. Yoo Sang-beom and Kim Mi-ae, began their trip Wednesday.
On Thursday, the delegation met with European Parliament Vice President Christel Schaldemose, Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Simon Mordue and members of the European Parliament’s delegation on Korean Peninsula affairs in Brussels. The trip is set to conclude on Wednesday of next week.
Meanwhile, the delegation to the US, which includes Democratic Party Reps. Chung Dong-young, Kim Young-ho and Wi Sung-lak along with People Power Party Reps. Cho Kyung-tae and Bae Jun-young, are to begin their visit Monday, staying until Feb. 15.
Both groups will deliver letters from Speaker Woo to their respective hosts, underscoring South Korea’s commitment to reinforcing partnerships amid domestic political challenges.
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