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President Moon Jae-in speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a phone call at the Blue House on Jan. 11.
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The two leaders discussed the recently resumed inter-Korean dialogue during a phone call
During a phone call on Jan. 11, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to strengthen strategic communication and cooperation between the two countries so that the recently resumed inter-Korean dialogue could not only enable the North’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics but also lead to the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan said that Moon used the 30-minute conversation to give Xi a detailed explanation of the results of the high-level inter-Korean talks held on Jan. 9 and to express his gratitude for the Chinese government’s support and assistance for the inter-Korean talks. Xi responded by saying that he welcomed the progress in improving relations brought about by the high-level inter-Korean talks and that he actively supported Moon and the South Korean government’s efforts toward this end, Yoon said.
Moon also asked Xi to attend the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics. Xi responded by calling for the two countries to work closely together to ensure that the Olympics were wrapped up successfully at the closing ceremony, leaving open the possibility of his attendance. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing.
The Blue House also reported that the two leaders expressed their satisfaction that Chinese and South Koreans were starting to experience the effects of revitalizing bilateral cooperation and exchange since Moon’s visit to China last month. Their telephone call was the first since the establishment of a direct hotline that the two leaders had agreed to set up during Moon’s visit in December.
By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter
Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
