President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a message congratulating Chinese President Xi Jinping on his third consecutive term in office, according to a government source on Monday.

China's state-run CCTV reported that in the message, Yoon recalled their first summit meeting on the sidelines of last year's Group of 20 leaders' forum, where they had a beneficial conversation on the development of bilateral ties.

He also expressed hope to further deepen two-way exchanges and cooperation through continued close communication.

Since his presidential campaign, Yoon has sought a relationship with Beijing, Seoul's biggest trade partner and a key player in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue, based on mutual respect.

Sending the congratulatory message had been of interest as it comes as the South Korean leader seeks to reinforce economic and security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo with back-to-back summit meetings.