SEOUL (BERNAMA) - South Korea's top diplomat will hold a meeting with her Chinese counterpart this week to make preparations for an upcoming summit between their countries' leaders and discuss other issues of mutual concern, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported her office as saying on Monday (Nov 20).

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha will leave for Beijing on Tuesday to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, according to the ministry.

They will discuss preparations for the visit by South Korean President Moon Jae In to Beijing planned for December, during which he is to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

They are also likely to discuss ways to strengthen their coordination to peacefully resolve the North Korea nuclear issue, the ministry said.

The meeting comes during a lull in North Korea's provocations that has so far lasted more than two months. Last Friday, China dispatched special envoy Song Tao to the North, drawing attention to what message the reclusive state will send through him.

Analysts and China's state media, however, have been cautious about overly high expectations for Mr Song's visit, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. They said that China sends a special envoy to Pyongyang to explain the results of its party congress, held every five years, as it did in 2007 and 2012.

Ms Kang's visit will be her first to China since taking office in June. Ms Kang and Mr Wang last met in September in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.