President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to embark on a four-day official visit to China the following week, where he will engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to reports, Lee was set to leave Seoul for a visit to Beijing and Shanghai.
Kang Yu-jung, the spokesperson for the president, stated that Lee is scheduled to travel to Beijing from January 4th to 6th for a summit with Xi Jinping and a state banquet.
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Lee will then proceed to Shanghai for a visit on January 6th and 7th. This will be the first time Lee has visited China since he became president in June. He is making this visit after Xi's visit to Korea in late October to early November during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. The initial meeting between the two helped improve the tense relations between Seoul and Beijing.
Kang mentioned that discussions during the state visit will center around topics that impact the daily lives of citizens from both countries, such as supply chains, investments, the digital economy, efforts to combat transnational crime, and collaboration on environmental issues.
In Shanghai, a central location for Korea's independence activists during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, Lee will commemorate important historical events. This includes honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence fighter Kim Koo and the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Shanghai Provisional Government building, recognizing their historical importance.
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The representative also mentioned that there are scheduled activities aimed at fostering forward-thinking collaboration between the two nations, such as forming partnerships in entrepreneurial ventures and other areas of mutual cooperation.
She clarified that the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) is also on the agenda for the visit. Although a detailed agenda has not been fully disclosed, it is expected that North Korea issues will be addressed.
President Donald Trump is set to travel to China in April, a visit that South Korea is optimistic will offer a chance for him to meet with Kim Jong-un, potentially sparking talks with North Korea. There is also a lot of interest in whether the discussions between Lee and Xi will result in Beijing relaxing or completely removing their restrictions on Korean cultural materials.
These restrictions were put in place after tensions between the two countries arose due to the deployment of a U.S. THAAD system in South Korea in 2016. Kang mentioned that it is challenging to discuss the specific agenda details as certain aspects are still being coordinated between the two countries.
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The discussions will focus on the increase of economic cooperation opportunities and addressing regional developments within a mutually cooperative relationship. The two leaders might also discuss South Korea's intention to develop its own nuclear-powered submarine. Recently, Seoul obtained approval from the US for submarine construction, uranium enrichment, and spent fuel reprocessing.