Xi Jinping May Visit North Korea as Soon as Next Week, South Korean Presidential Office Watching: Yonhap
Citing sources on May 20, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping could visit North Korea as soon as next week. In response, South Korea's presidential Blue House stated on the 21st that it is closely monitoring the developments and hopes China will play a constructive role in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula. The report noted that recent visits to Pyongyang by Xi's security and protocol staff, as well as a trip by Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month, are seen as potential indicators of the visit.
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- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 10:00
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Yonhap News Agency, citing sources on the 20th, reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit North Korea as soon as next week. The South Korean presidential office, the Blue House, stated today (the 21st) that the government is monitoring related developments and hopes China will play a constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue.
Yonhap quoted a senior government official as saying, "We have intelligence indicating that Chairman Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon."
Another government official also said that Xi is likely to visit North Korea later this month or early next month, mentioning that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Pyongyang last month and that Xi's security and protocol staff had also recently traveled to Pyongyang.
Regarding the possibility of Xi's visit, the Blue House stated on the 21st that the government is monitoring related trends and hopes that Sino-North Korean exchanges will contribute to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also expressed expectations for China to play a constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue.
The report also noted that after a Trump-Xi meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung spoke with U.S. President Trump by phone on May 17, and positively evaluated the constructive dialogue between the U.S. and Chinese leaders on the Korean Peninsula issue during their meeting.
Trump revealed during the call that the Chinese side expressed high concern over North Korea's nuclear issue. Recent bilateral exchanges show that all parties are paying close attention to the role China plays in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Yonhap quoted a senior government official as saying, "We have intelligence indicating that Chairman Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon."
Another government official also said that Xi is likely to visit North Korea later this month or early next month, mentioning that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Pyongyang last month and that Xi's security and protocol staff had also recently traveled to Pyongyang.
Regarding the possibility of Xi's visit, the Blue House stated on the 21st that the government is monitoring related trends and hopes that Sino-North Korean exchanges will contribute to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also expressed expectations for China to play a constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue.
The report also noted that after a Trump-Xi meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung spoke with U.S. President Trump by phone on May 17, and positively evaluated the constructive dialogue between the U.S. and Chinese leaders on the Korean Peninsula issue during their meeting.
Trump revealed during the call that the Chinese side expressed high concern over North Korea's nuclear issue. Recent bilateral exchanges show that all parties are paying close attention to the role China plays in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula.