(2nd LD) FM Cho urges China to play 'constructive role' in bringing N. Korea back to dialogue

(ATTN: REWRITES throughout with ministry's press release; ADDS details; RESTRUCTURES; CHANGES dateline)
By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has called on China to play a constructive role in resolving Korean Peninsula issues, including efforts to bring North Korea back to dialogue, during talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The ministerial talks took place in Beijing, where Cho and Wang discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on issues related to the Korean Peninsula and other regional affairs, according to a ministry press release issued late Friday.

During the meeting, Cho stressed that peace and stability on the peninsula serve the shared interests of South Korea and China, and explained the Seoul government's efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the peninsula.

"Cho also called on China to play a constructive role in addressing Korean Peninsula issues, including bringing North Korea back to dialogue," the ministry said.

Wang said China's policy on the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged and reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to continuing to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the peninsula.

Friday's talks marked the first meeting between the two foreign ministers in about three months, following Wang's visit to Seoul in August.

The talks came amid deepening ties between China and North Korea and a series of high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Inter-Korean relations, however, remain stalled. Pyongyang defines ties with Seoul as those between two hostile states and has rejected the Lee Jae Myung administration's calls for dialogue.

There has been speculation about a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during Trump's upcoming trip to Asia, as the U.S. president has expressed interest in resuming dialogue with Pyongyang.

But a South Korean presidential official said Thursday that a meeting between Trump and Kim on the sidelines of next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen was unlikely, while noting that it was difficult to predict whether contact between the two leaders might take place before or after the summit.

The two ministers also discussed preparations for the APEC summit, slated for Nov. 18-19, where President Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet.

Cho expressed hope that exchanges between the two leaders in Shenzhen would provide an important opportunity to further develop their strategic cooperative partnership.

Wang said bilateral relations had returned to a normal track following the leaders' reciprocal visits, calling for joint efforts to promote regional prosperity and expressing hope that the upcoming summit would give fresh momentum to bilateral ties.

The two ministers agreed to strengthen the foundation for "mutually beneficial" economic cooperation by making progress in negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) covering services and investment, while stepping up efforts to expand people-to-people exchanges and promote positive sentiment between the two nations.

Cho also conveyed South Korea's position on issues involving the Yellow Sea, apparently referring to concerns over Chinese steel structures installed in the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ), where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap.

"The two ministers agreed to carefully manage such issues to prevent them from hindering the development of bilateral ties," the ministry said.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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