Overview
- President Lee Jae Myung said he asked Xi Jinping to act as a mediator on Korean Peninsula issues, reporting that China indicated it would work on that role while calling for patience.
- Lee outlined a phased freeze proposal for Pyongyang that would halt additional nuclear weapon production, block transfers of nuclear materials abroad, and stop further ICBM development in exchange for possible compensation.
- Lee described inter‑Korean channels as completely blocked with trust at zero, as North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests during his trip.
- The visit produced practical steps to reset ties, including 14 MOUs and additional business deals, and Xi signaled a step‑by‑step easing of China’s informal curbs on Korean cultural content.
- Seoul and Beijing agreed on follow‑ups such as working‑level talks on Yellow Sea maritime delimitation, and Lee returned to Seoul saying the trip laid a foundation to restore relations.