Xi's visit to N.K. shows leader Kim willing to stay at negotiating table: Seoul ministry

SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to North Korea indicates North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's willingness to "stay within the framework of dialogue" for denuclearization, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Beijing and Pyongyang announced Monday that Xi will make a state visit to the communist neighbor on Thursday and Friday. The visit, Xi's first as president, comes at a time when denuclearization talks between the United States and the North have been stalled since their Hanoi summit in February produced no deal.

The foreign ministry said the Pyongyang-Beijing summit "demonstrates that the peace process for the Korean Peninsula is continuing in a negotiation-based structure."

"It means that Chairman Kim is willing to continue to stay within the framework of dialogue," the ministry said in a message to reporters.

The ministry also expressed hopes that Xi's visit will "contribute to achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace in the region."

elly@yna.co.kr
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