Key facts
- The Cho-Wang talks in Beijing were the first meeting between the two foreign ministers in about three months, the ministry said.
- Wang said bilateral relations had returned to a normal track following the leaders' reciprocal visits, per the ministry.
- Cho conveyed South Korea's position on Yellow Sea issues, which the report links to Chinese steel structures in the Provisional Measures Zone.
- The ministry said the two ministers agreed to manage such issues carefully so they do not hinder bilateral ties.
- President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet at the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called on China to play a constructive role in resolving Korean Peninsula issues, including efforts to bring North Korea back to dialogue, during talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a press release issued late on November 13, 2026.
Cho stressed that peace and stability on the peninsula serve the shared interests of South Korea and China, and explained Seoul's efforts toward denuclearization and peace, the ministry said. Wang said China's policy on the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged and reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to continuing to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability there.
The talks were the first meeting between the two foreign ministers in about three months, following Wang's visit to Seoul in August, according to the report. They took place as China and North Korea deepen ties through a series of high-level exchanges, while inter-Korean relations remain stalled; Pyongyang defines ties with Seoul as those between two hostile states and has rejected the Lee Jae Myung administration's calls for dialogue.
The two ministers also discussed preparations for the APEC summit, slated for November 18-19, where President Lee and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet. Cho expressed hope that exchanges between the two leaders in Shenzhen would provide an important opportunity to further develop their strategic cooperative partnership, the ministry said.
Wang said bilateral relations had returned to a normal track following the leaders' reciprocal visits, calling for joint efforts to promote regional prosperity and expressing hope that the summit would give fresh momentum to bilateral ties, according to the ministry.
The ministers agreed to strengthen the foundation for mutually beneficial economic cooperation by making progress in negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement covering services and investment, and to step up people-to-people exchanges, the ministry said. Cho also conveyed South Korea's position on issues involving the Yellow Sea, which the report links to concerns over Chinese steel structures installed in the Provisional Measures Zone where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap. The ministry said the two agreed to manage such issues carefully to prevent them from hindering bilateral ties.