S. Korean speaker greets Kim Jong-un with handshake at Beijing event

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik shook hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at a reception held before a military parade marking China’s Victory Day on Wednesday, according to the speaker’s office and participants who accompanied Woo at the event.

Woo reportedly greeted Kim by saying, "It’s been seven years since we last met" (referring to the 2018 inter-Korean summit). Kim gave short response, "yes."

During the parade, the two were seated far apart on the Tiananmen Gate Tower. Kim stood to the left of Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Russian President Vladimir Putin stood to Xi’s right. Woo was seated at the far end on Xi’s right — the same side as Putin — making any interaction difficult during the ceremony.

The speaker's office also said that Woo met with Xi and Putin during a luncheon hosted by the Chinese government following the parade.

He invited Xi to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled for late October in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and asked Putin to pay attention to the more than 130 South Korean companies currently operating in Russia, according to the speaker's office.

In response, Putin reportedly asked Woo how Seoul views the current state of inter-Korean ties and what message he might deliver to Kim during their upcoming summit, the office said.

Woo responded by expressing hope that the two Koreas could usher in an era of peace and prosperity. "Despite the many challenges, establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula is of paramount importance — and I will do my part to achieve that," Woo was quoted as saying by his office.

The Assembly speaker, South Korea’s second-highest-ranking official after the president under diplomatic protocol, attended the Victory Day event as Seoul’s official representative.

As part of his trip to Beijing, Woo is also scheduled on Friday to meet with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, who oversees China’s economy, science and technology, and strategic industries. He is set to return to Seoul the same day.

Lawmakers accompanying Woo include the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's Reps. Park Jie-won, Kim Tae-nyeon, Park Jeung and Hong Kee-won, along with Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor progressive Rebuilding Korea Party.