Prime Minister Han Duck-soo says South Korea will build mature relations with China based on mutual respect that upholds international rules and regulations

Han made the remark on Thursday during a keynote speech delivered at the 18th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity as he described China as South Korea's close neighbor. 

Han said that China, as the world’s second largest economy, is South Korea’s key partner in terms of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region as well as in politics, economy and culture. 

The prime minister also mentioned Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy at the forum, saying the Indo-Pacific region is clearly the center of geopolitical competition in security, economy and advanced technology as it accounts for 62 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and houses 65 percent of the global population. 

Han said cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is paramount to realize peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and stressed that Seoul will seek to repress North Korea’s provocations and persuade Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons based on cooperation with Washington and Tokyo as well as through solidarity with the international community.