South Korea’s Lee Raises North Korea Nukes With Xi, Says ‘China Can Serve As Mediator’

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 16:12 IST

Lee Jae-myung urged Xi Jinping to mediate talks with North Korea during his rare China visit, seeking Beijing's help to ease Korean Peninsula tensions and reset ties with China.

Lee Jae-myung urged Xi Jinping to mediate talks with North Korea during his rare China visit, seeking Beijing's help to ease Korean Peninsula tensions and reset ties with China. (IMAGE: AFP)

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung urged his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to help mediate talks with North Korea as he wrapped up a rare visit to China this week, seeking Beijing’s assistance in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and resetting ties with Seoul’s largest trading partner.

Lee’s trip, the first by a South Korean leader in six years, comes as relations between the two Koreas remain frozen. He met Xi in Beijing on Monday, a day after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

Speaking to journalists in Shanghai, Lee said he had asked China to play a mediating role in bringing Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. “All our channels are completely blocked," he said. “We hope China can serve as a mediator, a mediator for peace."

Lee said Xi urged Seoul to show “patience" with Pyongyang, given the severe deterioration in inter-Korean relations. Acknowledging past actions, Lee said South Korea had conducted military activities that North Korea may have perceived as threatening.

China’s foreign ministry did not directly address Lee’s comments but reiterated its stance on regional stability. “Maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is in the common interests of all parties," spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday, adding that China would continue to play a constructive role “in its own way."

Lee also outlined a proposal under which North Korea would freeze its nuclear programme in exchange for compensation, saying even a halt at the current level would be a meaningful gain. “In the long term, we must not give up the goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," he said.

North Korea has declared itself an “irreversible" nuclear state, and relations between Seoul and Pyongyang are at their lowest point in years. Pyongyang on Monday said its nuclear forces were ready for war and said it was closely watching recent global geopolitical developments, an apparent reference to a US strike on Venezuela.

Lee said he hopes to open a “new phase" in relations with China, while reaffirming Seoul’s careful balance between Beijing and the United States. He also stressed that ties with Japan remain equally important.

-With inputs from agencies

News world South Korea’s Lee Raises North Korea Nukes With Xi, Says ‘China Can Serve As Mediator’

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