China’s foreign minister to visit Seoul

China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is to visit Seoul from Nov. 26-27 at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday, stoking expectations of progress in stalled talks on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament.

Yang’s visit to South Korea will be his first in more than two years. He came here in August 2008 to meet then-South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan. Kim, who replaced Yu on Oct. 9, had a bilateral meeting with Yang on the sidelines of the Asean Plus Three summit in Hanoi on Oct. 28, when they agreed to another meeting in Seoul within the year.

Yang’s visit to South Korea was initially agreed upon when Yu visited China and met Yang in March. But that has been delayed due to Seoul-Beijing discord over the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.

The ministry said Yang is expected to exchange views with Kim on the situation on the peninsula.

By Moon Gwang-lip [joe@joongang.co.kr]