The top diplomats of South Korea and China have agreed to continue to cooperate in efforts to fight against the novel coronavirus and continue to push for a visit to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the first half of this year.
South Koran Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, made the agreement on Saturday during bilateral talks held on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference.
Kang expressed her hope that the COVID-19 outbreak could be contained soon in China and asked for Beijing's continued support in Seoul's efforts to protect its people and businesses in China.
Wang expressed gratitude for the support from the South Korean government as well as the private sector and stressed that his country will work closely with South Korea in responding to the virus.
After the meeting, Kang told reporters that Wang and she reaffirmed that they will continue to push for Xi's visit to South Korea in the first half of this year as previously agreed upon. However, she added that other details, including the exact date, require further arrangements.