Lee and Xi Agree: US-North Korea Dialogue is “Most Important”

While South Korean President Lee Jae Myung failed to secure a specific commitment from China to help restart inter-Korean talks, he and President Xi Jinping did find common ground on one key point: direct dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea is “most important.”
This area of consensus was revealed by South Korea’s national security adviser following the summit in Gyeongju. President Lee had hoped to gain Xi’s support for his “phased approach” to denuclearisation, starting with a freeze on the North’s weapons program.
North Korea, however, immediately rejected Lee’s plan as a “pipe dream” and reiterated its refusal to talk to Seoul. Pyongyang has, however, left the door open to talks with Washington if its denuclearisation is not a precondition.
U.S. President Donald Trump offered such talks during his visit to Seoul earlier in the week, but North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not publicly respond.
President Xi’s visit, his first in 11 years, also focused on economics. Seven agreements, including a currency swap, were signed. Chinese state media reports on the meeting highlighted cooperation in AI and green energy but made no mention of the North Korea issue.