SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin on Friday called on China to play a “constructive role” in curbing North Korea’s threats, after Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week.
The remarks were made during a meeting with Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Jakarta, where Park “strongly denounced” North Korea’s ICBM launch.
It is a common interest of Seoul and Beijing for North Korea to stop provocations and return to dialogue, his office said.
“Minister Park … stressed that it was more important than ever for the Chinese side to play a constructive role for the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,” Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
For several years, the United Nations Security Council has been divided over how to deal with Pyongyang, with China and Russia saying that more sanctions will not help ease the tensions.
Washington accuses Beijing and Moscow of emboldening North Korea by shielding it from more sanctions.
Park’s meeting with Wang took place as relations between the two countries have soured after China’s ambassador last month warned South Korea against making a wrong bet when it comes to Sino-U.S. rivalry.
Seoul’s foreign ministry said Park and Wang agreed to pay “close attention” to build “healthy and mature” bilateral relations based on mutual respect.
(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, editing by Christina Fincher and Devika Syamnath)
