Lee Jae-myung’s first visit to China: reaffirming Seoul’s pro-U.S. orientation and recalibrating policy on the DPRK

From January 4 to 7, 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made his first state visit to the PRC after taking office.

Within its framework, he held talks with Xi Jinping, following which South Korea and the PRC signed 14 memorandums of understanding on cooperation.

Although these agreements covered key economic areas—trade, industrial, and scientific-technical—their content was reduced to declaring intentions to maintain institutional ties. At the same time, no strategic agreements between the states were reached.

The main outcome of Lee Jae-myung's trip ultimately became the clarification of the PRC's updated North Korean strategy. In particular, Xi Jinping refused to discuss the denuclearization of the DPRK, emphasizing that Beijing is in search of "other creative ways" to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.