South Korea's foreign minister is pushing to visit Beijing this month to meet her Chinese counterpart and discuss cooperation on North Korea and other issues of mutual concern, a diplomatic source said Thursday.

Kang Kyung-wha is seeking to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Her trip to China will likely come later this month after accompanying President Moon Jae-in to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines from Nov. 8-15, according to the source.

Kang is expected to discuss follow-up measures with Wang on recent agreements between the two countries to leave the prolonged row over the US antimissile system deployed in South Korea behind them.


They will also likely discuss their coordinated approach towards the North's nuclear and missile programs.

Kang and Wang met in August on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines and during the UN General Assembly held in New York in September. But it would be her first time visiting China since taking office in June.

Later in the day, Noh Kyu-duk, foreign ministry spokesman, said that negotiations are under way for Kang's visit to China "in the near future."

"The specific date and time will be announced when they are determined," he told reporters during a regular press briefing. (Yonhap)