South Korea is hopeful that the Chinese president's visit to North Korea would help efforts towards denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula.<br />In a written statement Monday evening, the presidential Blue House spokesperson said the South Korean government had been aware of Xi's intent for a state visit to North Korea since last week.<br />She said Seoul had been closely cooperating with the Chinese government "in the belief that President Xi Jinping's visit will contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Korean peninsula's issues."<br />South Korea and China have agreed to hold bilateral talks at the G20 next week and the specifics of the meeting are still being discussed.<br />However, Seoul's top office made clear that there are no plans for a separate trip by President Xi before or after the Osaka G20 summit.<br /><br />
