December 01, 2023
News

South Korea, China won’t let THAAD be ‘stumbling block’ in relationship: Beijing

Two sides offer conflicting accounts of talks on interceptors and North Korean denuclearization after top diplomats meet

The top diplomats of South Korean and China agreed Tuesday not to allow THAAD missile defenses to become a “stumbling block” in bilateral ties, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry, after Seoul asserted its right to deploy interceptors against North Korean threats.

Tuesday’s five-hour meeting in Qingdao between South Korean foreign minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi marks their second in-person talks, as well as the first visit by a high-level ROK official to China since Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration.