S. Korea, China confirm joint stance on N.K. nuclear issue

South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye with the vice premiere of China. (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang met in Seoul Friday, agreeing that the two countries will continue working closely on the resumption of multilateral talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, Park’s office said.

Wang, who arrived in Seoul Thursday for a three-day visit, also delivered a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the neighbors should deepen their strategic partnership and make efforts to revive the stalled six-party denuclearization talks, it said.

The aid-for-disarmament talks, which involve the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Japan and Russia, were last held in late 2008 before Pyongyang dropped out in protest of U.N. sanctions levied against it.

Park said she hopes Seoul and Beijing will continue to seek “creative and varied” means to resume the talks and work closely to form a “virtuous circle” involving North Korea’s denuclearization and improved inter-Korean ties.

China is North Korea’s largest political ally and economic benefactor.

Touching on inter-Korean relations, Park’s office said that Xi “positively evaluated reciprocal offers” for dialogue that the two Koreas have recently made.

South Korea is waiting for a response from the North over its December proposal to hold high-level talks on pending issues such as a reunion for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

The North has yet to officially respond to that overture, but North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in his New Year address that he is open to holding a summit with Park this year if conditions are met.

Park and Wang also exchanged views on economic and cultural ties between South Korea and China, as the sides have yet to sign a bilateral free trade agreement reached last November and 2015 has been named the “Year of Visit to China.” the presidential office said in a news release.

Wang visited Seoul to attend the launch ceremony for the tourism campaign.

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