North Korea issued a scathing rejection of South Korea’s diplomatic overtures, calling its denuclearisation plans a “pipe dream,” at the very moment President Lee Jae Myung was meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to ask for help on the matter.
President Lee hosted Xi in Gyeongju, appealing for China’s help to “strengthen strategic communication” and resume dialogue with Pyongyang. Lee’s strategy involves a phased approach, starting with engagement and a freeze on the North’s nuclear development.
Pyongyang’s statement on Saturday made clear its contempt for the plan. The regime, which is a military and economic ally of China, has recently abandoned its policy of unification and now calls South Korea its “main enemy,” vowing never to engage in talks.
President Xi, on his first visit to the U.S. ally in 11 years, focused on positive bilateral relations, calling South Korea an “inseparable cooperative partner.” The two sides signed seven economic agreements.
A South Korean official stated that China was willing to cooperate for peace on the peninsula. However, Chinese state media reports on the summit notably omitted any mention of the North Korea discussions, focusing instead on economic cooperation.