A special envoy group led by former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on the 26th to reaffirm the commitment to developing a strategic cooperation relationship.
The special envoy group met with Vice President Han at approximately 10 a.m. (local time) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chinese officials in attendance included Sun Weidong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lin Rongbin, Director General of the Central Foreign Affairs Office Research Department.
Vice President Han noted, "The leaders of both countries have reached important agreements to advance the strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level," adding, "We aim to implement these agreements well with the Korean side and continuously develop bilateral relations to bring more benefits to the people of both countries. Additionally, we are willing to contribute more significantly to regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity."
Director General Park responded, "I hope the sound Korea-China strategic cooperation relationship continues to develop," and said, "Please work together to bring the Korea-China relationship, which has deviated from its trajectory in recent years, back onto the right path."
Director General Park expressed gratitude, saying that Vice President Han contributed greatly to various exchanges and cooperations between Korea and China during his 40 years of service in Shanghai. He specifically mentioned, "What our Korean people are particularly thankful for and remember is that Vice President Han played a significant role in preserving and restoring our historic sites of independence that were on the verge of being lost, especially the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai."
The special envoy group, which arrived in Beijing on the 24th, delivered a letter of intent from the president after meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi that same day and met with three former ambassadors to South Korea (Ning Fuku, Chu Guohong, and Xing Haiming) the day before. They also held discussions with local residents and businesspeople. A meeting with President Xi Jinping did not take place.
In the afternoon, they are expected to meet Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who ranks third in the Chinese government hierarchy, and brief the Beijing press corps on the visit's outcomes.