Unification ministry takes note of Xi's call for expanded military ties with Pyongyang

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday flagged Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for expanded military cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang as something worth watching closely.

"It was the first known case in which the subject has been raised publicly," a ministry official said, adding Seoul was monitoring the situation for any developments.

At Monday's summit between Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Xi said China remained firmly committed to protecting North Korea's interests and expanding practical cooperation across a broad range of areas, including the economy, trade, military, science and healthcare, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

North Korea's media made no mention of military cooperation.

The official also noted Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun had accompanied Xi, unlike the Chinese leader's 2019 visit to Pyongyang, when the defense minister was not part of the Chinese delegation. The inclusion this time, the official suggested, may signal Beijing's intentions.

On the absence of any reference to North Korea's nuclear programs or the Korean Peninsula situation, the official struck a cautious tone, saying it was too early to draw conclusions.

The official noted that such issues may have been discussed behind closed doors and simply not made public.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from R) and his wife, Ri Sol-ju (R), pose for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd from L) and his wife, Peng Liyuan, ahead of a banquet for the Chinese leader at the Mokran House in Pyongyang on June 8, 2026, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)