South Korea-China Hold Diplomatic Dialogue Tomorrow Amid News Putin's Plan To Visit North Korea

JAKARTA - South Korea and China will start a diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday, June 18. the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The talks will be chaired by South Korean Deputy Foreign Ministers Kim Hong-Kyun and Sun Weidong from China. The meeting will be attended by senior defense officials from both sides, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang agreed to continue free trade negotiations when they met last month in Seoul for a summit involving Japan.

During the meeting, the two countries planned to exchange views on issues of common interest including bilateral relations, issues of the Korean Peninsula and regional and international situations, the ministry said.

The talks may coincide with possible visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea, prompting Seoul and Washington to warn of further military exchanges violating UN Security Council resolutions.

Yoon urged China and Russia to play a bigger role as permanent members of the Security Council, while Pyongyang is racing to increase its nuclear and missile capabilities.