ISTANBUL

South Korea’s president on Sunday described China as a "very important partner" for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to South Korean media.

Speaking to Korean residents after arriving in Beijing to start a four-day state visit, President Lee Jae Myung highlighted China’s key role in past peace efforts, noting that Beijing hosted six-party talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, Yonhap News reported.

"China is a very important cooperative partner in moving toward peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula," Lee said.

He also vowed to fill in gaps in Korea-China relations and upgrade them to a new level.

Lee arrived on Sunday in Beijing for a four-day state visit, his first to China since taking office last June, and also the first trip by a South Korean president to the country since 2019.

Lee will hold talks with Xi on Monday, marking their second meeting in just two months, following their talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju in November, when Xi visited South Korea for the first time in over a decade.

In his meeting with Xi, Lee is expected to discuss economic cooperation and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula and to seek Beijing’s involvement in securing a breakthrough in resolving issues on the peninsula.

South Korea aims to stably manage its relations with China, a key partner in trade, tourism and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula while also maintaining a strong alliance with the US under the Lee administration's "pragmatic" diplomatic approach.

Missile launches by the North

Lee’s visit to China coincided with ballistic missile launches by North Korea, China’s ally, on Sunday. It was Pyongyang’s first ballistic missile launch since November.

Accompanied by a large business delegation, Lee will also attend a Korea-China economic forum in Beijing on Monday to discuss expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, green energy, supply chains, and tourism, among other areas.

The two sides are expected to sign more than 10 memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various areas, according to his office.

Lee will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator, before heading to Shanghai on Tuesday. There, he plans to attend a startup event with Korean and Chinese entrepreneurs before returning home on Wednesday.

On Friday, Lee told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV News that “respecting the one-China principle and maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia, including in the Taiwan Strait, are very important.”

China and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2024, the trade volume between the two countries reached over $267 billion.

Separately, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin also arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a five-day official visit to meet Xi and Li, according to CGTN, the first visit by an Irish premier in 14 years.

*Islamuddin Sajid in Islamabad contributed to this story