(LEAD) N. Korean FM vows stronger ties with China in meeting with new envoy

All News 15:59 May 09, 2023

(ATTN: ADDS details from KCNA English-language dispatch, Chinese Embassy statement; REPLACES photos)

SEOUL, May 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has met with China's new ambassador to Pyongyang and vowed a "steadfast" willingness to further develop friendly ties between their nations, state media said Tuesday.

Choe met Ambassador Wang Yajun, who paid a courtesy call on her, Monday, and the meeting was held in an amicable atmosphere, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

This photo, captured from the WeChat account of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea on May 9, 2023, shows North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (R) and China's new ambassador to Pyongyang, Wang Yajun, shaking hands during their meeting the previous day. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"Choe Son-Hui and Wang Yajun expressed their steadfast stand to further develop the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and China, true to the noble intention of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries," the KCNA reported in an English-language dispatch.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

According to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in North Korea on social media, Choe was "deeply moved" as she recalled a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian five years ago.

Choe said that the North will continue to cherish their friendly ties and noted that bilateral ties have come to "a period of full-scale and in-depth advancement," the embassy said.

Wang said the ties have entered a "new historic era" and vowed to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the region with the North.

Wang began his official duty in early April, after his arrival in the secretive state was delayed for more than two years due to the North's COVID-19-related border restrictions. He was appointed as Beijing's top envoy to Pyongyang in February 2021.

North Korea has been strengthening its ties with China, the North's traditional ally and economic benefactor, amid global sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs, and stalled denuclearization talks with the United States.