Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), including Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Korean President Moon Jae-in, pose for a group photo session at the 2018 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at Papua New Guniea on Nov. 28.

President Moon Jae-in met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed hope they will make joint efforts for the development of relationships between Korea and China and a peace process of the Korean Peninsula. President Xi hinted at his visit to North Korea and South Korea at an opportune time next year.

President Moon had a 40-minute summit with Chinese President Xi on the sidelines of the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in Papua New Guinea on Nov. 17.

The two leaders evaluated that the upcoming 2nd summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Kim’s visit to Seoul in return for the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang would be watersheds events to solve North Korea’s denuclearization, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said.

They shared the view that the U.S. and NK leaders’ summit is the foremost thing amid the deadlocked U.S.-NK talks on denuclearization. President Moon did not directly mentioned sanctions relief against North Korea unlike his previous meetings with European leaders in which President Moon asked for the easing of sanctions, but he heard the message the sanctions remain in place until NK abandons nuclear weapons in a complete and verifiable manner.

President Moon asked President Xi for his visit to Seoul at the earliest possible date, saying his trip would mature inter-Korean relations. President Xi replied that he has an intention to visit South Korea at an opportune time. Xi also added that he received an invitation from North Korean leader Kim to visit Pyongyang, and he would tour North Korea next year.

President Moon returned home on Nov. 18 after wrapping up his five-day visit to Singapore and Papua New Guinea where he attended ASEAN-related summits and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, respectively. During his overseas trip, he also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the Singapore Convention Center on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related summits in Singapore on Nov. 15. (Photos on the courtesy of the website of Cheong Wa Dae)

Preisdent Meets with U.S. Vice President

President Moon Jae-in met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence for 35 minutes from 11:20 this morning on the sidelines of ASEAN-related summits in Singapore.

President Moon and Vice President Pence exchanged ideas on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and discussed preparations for the second North Korea-United States summit. The two sides agreed to maintain their close coordination, based on solid ROK-U.S. trust, for the sake of complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, Cheong Wa Dae said.

They shared an understanding that inter-Korean relations, denuclearization and North Korea-U.S. talks should make headway via a virtuous cycle. To that end, they reached an agreement on continued close cooperation, the presidential office said.

President Moon said he would keep playing an active role to help accelerate progress in North Korea-U.S. relations while closely communicating with both sides in the process of their negotiations, it said.