SEOUL, Aug 18, 2026: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea on August 19–20 for talks with senior South Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, as Seoul and Beijing continue efforts to restore regular high-level communication and discuss the Korean Peninsula and wider regional issues.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon announced the visit at the ministry’s regular briefing on Tuesday, saying Wang would make the official visit at the invitation of Cho Hyun.
The two foreign ministers will hold talks and an official dinner on August 19. They are expected to exchange views on South Korea–China relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and regional and international issues of mutual interest, Park said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, for talks that are widely expected to focus on advancing bilateral ties and issues related to North Korea.https://t.co/wJZ2PNKhNA
— The Korea Times (@koreatimescokr) August 18, 2026
Wang is also scheduled to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on August 20. The South Korean presidential office said Lee would discuss the future direction of South Korea–China relations and regional affairs with Wang and convey his greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Wang will separately hold talks and a luncheon with South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, with the Korean Peninsula and other regional and international matters also expected to be discussed, according to the presidential office.
The visit will be Wang’s first bilateral visit to South Korea since September 2021, although he accompanied Xi to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju last year. The forthcoming foreign ministers’ meeting will also be the first between Wang and Cho since their September 2025 meeting in Beijing.
The timing places the visit within a broader effort by Seoul and Beijing to rebuild regular diplomatic exchanges. In January, President Lee’s state visit to China produced an agreement to restore and strengthen several channels of strategic dialogue between the two countries.
A report published by the South Korean presidency following Lee’s January visit described China as an “inseparable cooperative partner” and said Seoul and Beijing had agreed to restore strategic dialogue channels, including in diplomacy and security, while working together on peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
The forthcoming talks also take place ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen in November, providing an opportunity for the two sides to review the state of bilateral relations before another major high-level regional gathering.
For Seoul, the Korean Peninsula is likely to remain an important part of the discussion because of China's role in the region and its relations with North Korea. South Korea's Foreign Ministry has specifically identified the situation on the peninsula as one of the subjects for the foreign ministers’ talks.
The visit also comes after President Lee, in his August 15 address marking Korea’s Liberation Day, called for dialogue among the parties concerned to bring an end to the long-standing Korean War armistice system. South Korean officials have indicated that the proposal could naturally form part of discussions on the peninsula, although the Foreign Ministry has not said that it will be a formal agenda item for Wang’s visit.
For China and South Korea, the immediate significance of the visit lies in maintaining a senior-level channel at a time when developments on the Korean Peninsula and wider Northeast Asian relations require sustained diplomatic communication.
Wang’s programme begins on August 19 with talks and a dinner with Cho Hyun. On August 20, he is scheduled to meet President Lee and hold talks and a luncheon with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.
The developing engagement between Seoul and Beijing is taking place alongside a longstanding U.S.–South Korea alliance. In its November 2025 joint fact sheet following President Donald Trump’s meeting with President Lee Jae Myung, the White House described the alliance as the “linchpin” for peace, security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. The document said Washington had reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea’s defence, including extended deterrence, while the two countries agreed to coordinate on North Korea policy and regional security.
The economic relationship between Washington and Seoul has also been undergoing adjustment. The Office of the United States Trade Representative said the Korea Strategic Trade and Investment Deal reached in 2025 established a 15 percent U.S. reciprocal tariff rate for originating Korean goods and provided for reductions in certain U.S. sectoral tariffs on Korean automobiles, auto parts, timber and related products. USTR said the agreement was intended to increase mutually beneficial trade and investment while addressing what Washington described as longstanding barriers to American exports.
The White House's November 2025 account of the U.S.–ROK relationship also linked the alliance to cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, shipbuilding, energy and critical-mineral supply chains, while the two governments reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and continued coordination on the Korean Peninsula. Against this background, President Lee’s effort to maintain dialogue with Beijing is unfolding within a broader network of security, economic and technological relationships that already connects South Korea closely with both China and the United States.
