SEOUL, Aug 24 – South Korea is aiming to restore normal relations with China, which have been strained in recent years, a high-level Seoul delegation leader said during a visit to Beijing on Sunday.
- Delegation: Led by former assembly speaker Park Byeong-seug, the team met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and delivered a letter from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to President Xi Jinping.
- Context: Ties have been rocky since 2017 over South Korea’s deployment of a U.S. missile defense system opposed by Beijing and were further strained in 2023 following critical remarks by former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- Objective: Park said the visit seeks to “open the door to normalising South Korea-China relations.”
The move coincides with President Lee’s upcoming trip to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting Seoul’s balancing act between its key partners.
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