Senior presidential secretary for public relations Yoon Young-chan gives a briefing on a phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Chunchugwan press center at Cheong Wa Dae on May 11.

By Sohn JiAe

Photos = Jeon Han 

President Moon Jae-in held a phone call at noon on May 11 with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping, who called to congratulate him on his inauguration. The two leaders discussed a range of issues of mutual interest. 

“President Moon held his first phone conversation with the Chinese leader for more than 40 minutes,” announced Yoon Young-chan in a briefing that day, the person tapped to be the senior presidential secretary for public relations. 

“The two leaders agreed that they both feel quite close to each other, and they also exchanged their thoughts on a wide range of issues, including ways to expand bilateral ties overall, and ways to deal with challenges on the Korean Peninsula,” Yoon said. 

“President Xi expressed his condolences regarding a recent car crash in Shandong Province, China, which took the lives of 10 Korean kindergarteners. He told President Moon to send his condolences to the bereaved families,” the secretary said. 

In the conversation, President Moon said, “The Korea-China relationship has grown across many channels since the two countries established diplomatic ties. The potential for further growth is still infinite.” 

The president went on to say that, “We have the will to further develop bilateral ties so that we become practical strategic cooperative partners, with a relationship based on trust.” 

As for the tense situation across the Korean Peninsula involving the North’s nuclear weapons programs, both leaders stressed that, “Denuclearization in Pyongyang, and also across the peninsula, is our common goal.” 

Regarding the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in the South, the new Korean president said, “We understand Beijing’s great interest and worries concerning the issue. Hopefully, our two nations will have a better understanding of each other, and have more talks to deal with this issue, too.” 

According to the senior presidential secretary, the two presidents agreed to send senior envoys to each nation at the earliest possible time. 

Senior presidential secretary for public relations Yoon Young-chan announces during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae that, `The leaders of Korea and China held a 40-minute or so phone conversation on issues of mutual concern on May 11.`

***