South Korean President Moon Jae-in is in Papua New Guinea for the APEC Summit, a gathering of the leaders of more than 20 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
On the sidelines, President Moon met with his Chinese counterpart... to discuss issues of diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula and their countries economic ties.
Our Blue House correspondent Shin Se-min reports.
Presidents Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Xi Jinping of China... on the same page,... looking forward to the success of the next summit between North Korea and the U.S.… and to establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Meeting on the sidelines of the annual APEC Summit in Papua New Guinea,… the two leaders discussed the ongoing peace drive on the divided Peninsula and issues of interest to both of their countries.
President Moon's spokesperson said the leaders both see the second North Korea-U.S. summit and Kim Jong-un's planned visit to Seoul as crucial.
And President Moon himself said he wants to work more closely with China on related issues.


"South Korea and China share a strategic interest in peace and prosperity in the Northeast Asian region, so I hope that we can cooperate more closely on the development of Korea-China relations and the Korean Peninsula peace process."


President Xi of China concurred.


"We should continue to play a positive role by staying in close strategic communication and working to realize lasting peace and prosperity in the region."

President Xi added that Beijing supports Seoul's efforts for peace… and that it will continue to play a (quote) "constructive" role.
He too said he's planning a trip to the North next year at Kim Jong-un's invitation.
In addition to North Korea,... the leaders also covered bilateral trade and environmental issues.
President Moon expressed hope that they can work together to take care of the smog and fine dust pollution affecting both countries so that their people can feel the change.
Including the talks with President Xi, President Moon has managed to meet with three leaders at APEC deemed critical to North Korea-related diplomacy -- the others being Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
All of them reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearizing the region and to lasting peace.
After wrapping his 6-day trip to two countries, President Moon will fly back home later on Sunday.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.