China's Xi wraps up N. Korea visit

시진핑, 국빈 방북 마치고 전용기편 귀국행

Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up his state visit to North Korea.
Though we don't have many details of what happened today, for more, we have our Oh Jung-hee joining us from Seoul's unification ministry.
Jung-hee, so Xi Jinping has left Pyeongyang?
Aram, you're right, we're hearing that Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up his two-day visit to North Korea and is right now returning to China.
This is the only update we've heard from North Korea, so we are not really sure what the leaders did throughout the day today but we do have a rough idea.
If things went as scheduled, then we're expecting that China's Xi Jinping paid tribute to the North Korea-China Friendship Tower in Pyeongyang.
This tower is a symbol of North Korea-China bilateral relations... as it was built in 1959 to commemorate Chinese soldiers who died fighting in the Korean War.
China’s high-level government officials have often visited the tower when visiting the North, including Xi Jinping himself in 2008 when he was China's Vice President.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un and President Xi could have had additional summit talks today along with a luncheon.
If they did have those talks, then the topics would've been mainly about their bilateral ties and Korean Peninsula issues.
As with their previous four summits when Kim Jong-un visited China, the two leaders have continued their summit into the following day.
North Korea's state media has put a lot of emphasis on Xi's visit, saying it's a (quote)"critical opportunity to show off their unchangeable and undefeatable friendship."
This is the first visit by the Chinese leader to North Korea in 14 years and a fifth summit between Kim and Xi since 2018.
The summit comes as Pyeongyang and Beijing celebrate 70 years of their diplomatic ties this year.
Aram, that's really all I have for now, but I'll bring you more updates during our later newscasts.
Back to you.