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15:01 GMT
TOKYO, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- The presidents of South Korea and China agreed Thursday to continue working together to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported.
"President Xi Jinping welcomed the improvement in the South-North Korea relationship as the result of high-level talks between the South and the North and said he actively supports President Moon Jae-in and the South Korean government to that end," Seoul's presidential office was quoted as saying.
The two leaders had a 30-minute telephone conversation two days after government officials from the divided Koreas held talks on the North's participation in the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea slated for Feb. 9-25. The inter-Korean dialogue was the first of its kind since December 2015.
"The two leaders agreed to strengthen strategic dialogue and cooperation between South Korea and China so that inter-Korean dialogue will go beyond North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Olympic Games and lead to the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon's Chief Press Secretary Yoon Young-chan said in a press release.
President Xi noted any improvement in the South-North Korea relationship must move forward simultaneously with progress in denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to Yoon. (end)
mk.mt