KB News Desk
President Lee Jae Myung will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday.
The meeting has fanned speculation over whether Seoul will seek Beijing’s support for Lee’s newly proposed multiparty discussions on formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War.
Diplomatic developments surrounding North Korea have accelerated in recent days, with Lee unveiling a renewed peace initiative and US President Donald Trump signaling his desire to revive dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
During Thursday’s meeting, Lee and Wang are expected to discuss the future of South Korea-China relations and regional developments. Lee will also convey his greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Wang, who arrived in South Korea Wednesday for a two-day visit, is also scheduled to hold separate talks and a luncheon Thursday with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.
The two are expected to exchange views on South Korea-China relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other regional and international issues. Wang, who also serves as director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, is effectively China’s top foreign policy official, making Wi his South Korean counterpart in that capacity.
Particular attention, however, is likely to center on Lee’s latest initiative for the Korean Peninsula.
In his Liberation Day address last week, Lee proposed discussions among the parties concerned to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, pledging to work toward replacing what he called the peninsula’s “unstable armistice system” with a peace regime.
“Let us abandon intentions to threaten one another and begin discussions among the parties concerned to bring this very long-standing war to an end,” Lee said.
China would be a key participant in any such process, given its role in the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement and its longstanding political and economic ties with Pyongyang.
The timing of Wang’s meeting with Lee has drawn further attention as Trump makes a fresh push to engage Kim.
Trump said over the weekend that he had ordered a substantial reduction in the South Korea-US combined military exercises, citing their cost and his “very good relationship” with Kim.
Trump went further Tuesday, saying Kim had responded to his overture for dialogue. Asked about the status of his interactions with Kim, Trump said they were “very positive,” although he did not explain when or how the two sides had communicated.
The developments could give the Lee administration an opening to seek China’s cooperation in creating conditions for renewed diplomacy with Pyongyang.
A Seoul Foreign Ministry official said earlier this week that Lee’s broader vision for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula would likely arise naturally during discussions with Wang.
Beijing, meanwhile, has so far maintained a cautious public stance.
Asked earlier this week whether China supported renewed US-North Korea dialogue following Trump’s recent overtures, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated Beijing’s position that safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and advancing a political settlement serve the common interests of all parties.
Wang’s planned meeting with Lee is also expected to provide an opportunity to take stock of improving South Korea-China relations and prepare for further high-level exchanges.
Lee and Xi have met twice since Lee took office, first in Gyeongju in November 2025 and again in Beijing in January. Wang’s visit comes ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit China is scheduled to host in Shenzhen in November, potentially providing another opportunity for high-level engagement between Seoul and Beijing.
Before meeting Lee, Wang is scheduled to hold talks and an official dinner with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday. His trip marks his first official visit to South Korea since September 2021.
