South Korea’s Lee begins China state visit after North fires missiles
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife, Ms Kim Hye-kyung, arriving at Seoul Air base to leave for Beijing on Jan 4, 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SHANGHAI – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung began a state visit to China on Jan 4, hoping to promote peace on the Korean peninsula hours after rival North Korea launched ballistic missiles
The visit, Mr Lee’s first to China since taking office in June, comes amid heightened global tensions after Pyongyang’s aggressive display, on the heels of the US attack on Venezuela.
Mr Lee is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip for their second meeting in just two months. The unusually short interval, analysts say, signals China’s keen interest in boosting economic collaboration and tourism as its relations with neighbouring Japan have sunk
Beijing was incensed when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan
The Jan 4 missile launches by North Korea represent “a message to China to deter closer ties with South Korea and to counter China’s stance on denuclearisation”, said Professor Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.
Mr Lee arrived in Beijing for his four-day state visit to China with a delegation that includes more than 200 South Korean business leaders, Chinese state news broadcaster CCTV reported.
Among them are Samsung Electronics chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Euisun Chung, according to photos that were published by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
China and South Korea are expected to discuss matters such as supply chain investment, the digital economy and cultural exchanges during Mr Lee’s visit, CCTV said. REUTERS
