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Top envoy says his ministry will push for President Lee's state visit to China early next year

Published: 19 Dec. 2025, 19:50

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks during a policy briefing to the president at the central government complex in Seoul on Dec. 19. [YONHAP]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Friday that his ministry will work to arrange President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to China early next year.

Cho made the remarks during a policy briefing to the president, outlining his ministry's plans for diplomacy with key countries and regions, as well as major international issues.

"We will pursue the president's state visit to China in the early part of next year," he said at the start of the briefing.

South Korea is seeking to maintain a stable relationship with China amid its efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea. China is the North's traditional ally and a primary economic benefactor.

Regarding the United States, the Foreign Ministry will work to arrange another timely summit between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump next year and ensure that follow-up steps for the agreements reached at the recent summits in August and October are carried out, he said.

"Particularly, we will make sure that we make tangible progress in nuclear-powered submarines, nuclear energy and shipbuilding," Cho said.

The United States has committed to supporting South Korea in the process that will lead to its civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses. It also includes U.S. approval for and its commitment to advancing Seoul's drive for nuclear-powered submarines.

Regarding Japan, Cho also said that his ministry will continue "shuttle diplomacy," or regular visits between leaders, with Tokyo.

The government will continue to maintain a firm trilateral partnership with the United States and Japan while working to promote three-way cooperation with China and Japan.

Cho said the ministry will maintain necessary communication with Russia.

The ministry will also work to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a multilateral trade pact involving Japan, Australia, and countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America, to broaden economic cooperation.

"We will also push for bilateral economic partnerships with Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt," he said.

Speaking to reporters after the briefing, Cho downplayed the growing rift between his ministry and the Unification Ministry over their approach to North Korea policy.

"We are not always on the same page. We may have differing views. But we clearly share the same objective, yet with different approaches," he said when asked about the interagency tensions.

The discord came as the Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, has taken issue with the Foreign Ministry-led dialogue with the United States on North Korea, claiming the talks will only hinder efforts to restore ties with Pyongyang.

The Unification Ministry has said it should lead peace initiatives with the North, as the Foreign Ministry's coordination with the United States prioritizes sanctions against Pyongyang.

At the policy briefing to the president, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young outlined his vision for inter-Korean projects, including constructing a cross-border high-speed railway linking Seoul and Beijing and developing the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone in the North.

Carrying out those plans would require easing international sanctions banning the North from importing materials that could be diverted for military use.

Asked if he agrees to sanctions relief to pursue such projects, Cho said a unified decision will have to be made at the National Security Council level, although Chung's ideas "personally make his heart pound."

"We will make every diplomatic effort to help realize the Unification Ministry's visions," he added.

During the closed-door session of the policy briefing, Cho said he briefed the president on how South Korea could navigate its diplomacy under the current and near-term international landscape, including scenarios in which Russia's war in Ukraine ends, or tensions between China and Japan intensify.

Yonhap