Parliamentary leader to visit China this week

Published : May 6, 2019 - 10:23 Updated : May 6, 2019 - 10:23

South Korea's parliamentary speaker will visit China this week for talks with Chinese political leaders to seek bilateral cooperation in building peace on the Korean Peninsula, the parliament said Sunday.

The visit comes amid a deadlock in nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea.

Moon Hee-sang will leave for China for a three-day trip on Monday, together with lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party and the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, according to the National Assembly.

(Yonhap)

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party will not take part in the trip as its lawmakers are still participating in protest rallies outside the National Assembly against President Moon Jae-in's reform drive.

During the visit, the speaker will meet with Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and Yang Jiechi, member of the politburo of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee, among others.

"We will focus diplomatic efforts at the parliamentary level to resume North Korea-US talks, which have hit a wall, and strengthen bilateral cooperation to bring complete denuclearization and lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula," the parliamentary leader said.

He also plans to meet with Korea experts in China and give a lecture at Peking University.

In February, Moon also headed a group of parliamentary leaders' weeklong visit to the US ahead of the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap)