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China, North Korea, South Korea
Xi-Kim summit: Seoul backs down on denuclearisation

Reading time 3 min

The Chinese and North Korean flags were raised in Pyongyang on 8 June 2026, as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea for the first time in seven years to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Chinese and North Korean flags were raised in Pyongyang on 8 June 2026, as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea for the first time in seven years to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. © Kyodo/MaxPPP

While the Chinese president's visit to Pyongyang aims to cement his role as front-line mediator, Seoul has taken a risky gamble to avoid being sidelined from negotiations by abandoning its demands for North Korea's denuclearisation.

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