ISTANBUL

South Korea on Thursday urged Beijing to “prudently” handle maritime disputes as Chinese President Xi Jinping met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Woo Won Shik, the speaker of South Korea’s parliament, made the remarks during his meeting with China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, in Beijing, Woo’s office said, according to Yonhap news.

The meeting came as Xi and Kim met on Thursday in Beijing, marking their sixth such bilateral summit since 2018.

Woo expressed Seoul's hopes that the disputes with Beijing in Yellow Sea will be "handled prudently" to avoid straining their bilateral relationship.

He told Zhao that Seoul was willing to "advance bilateral ties” with Beijing “despite the challenges," voicing his wishes for the two sides to "continue the deep friendship and solidarity based on our shared historical experiences, and work together to achieve regional and global peace."

Woo renewed his call for Xi to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, set to be held next month in South Korea’s southeastern city of Gyeongju.

The South Korean top lawmaker represented Seoul at China's Victory Day military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.