National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with a visiting delegation from the China-Korea Friendship Group under the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature, on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen inter-parliamentary exchange and cooperation.
Woo met with Yang Xiaochao, head of the China-Korea Friendship Group, and other delegation members at the National Assembly. "When Fu Bao was returned to China last April, Korean people were deeply saddened," Woo said. "Koreans' love for pandas runs very deep. If giant pandas are reintroduced to Korea, it would greatly help promote friendship between the two countries."
Woo proposed that "the National Assembly and the NPC work together to promote people-to-people exchanges, expand cultural exchanges, and pursue positive economic effects between the two countries as we mark the 35th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations next year."
Regarding the return of a stone lion statue discussed during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to China in January, Woo noted that "the process is proceeding well through proper procedures in Korea."
"Last week marked the anniversary of patriot Ahn Jung-geun's martyrdom, and the entire Korean people feel deep sorrow that his remains have not been found," Woo said. "We look forward to deeper cooperation with China on recovering the remains. Please give this matter greater attention."
Woo also highlighted that "there is a movement to designate 2027 and 2028 as the 'Korea-China Year of Tourism,' with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to be held in China this November as an opportunity." He added, "I hope consultations go well so that special exchanges between our peoples take place next year and the year after."
In response, Yang Xiaochao said, "Korea and China are neighbors who cannot move away from each other and inseparable partners." He added, "We will do our best to further develop Korea-China relations going forward." Yang also noted that "amid today's rapidly changing international landscape, under the strategic leadership of each country's heads of state, both nations have maintained the original spirit of diplomatic normalization and have grown into trusting and friendly partners."
The meeting was attended by five members of the China-Korea Friendship Group along with Yang Xiaochao, as well as Fang Kun, minister-counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. The China-Korea Friendship Group is a legislative exchange body that serves as the NPC's counterpart to Korea's Korea-China Parliamentarians' Association.