(2nd LD) PM arrives in China to discuss N. Korean issues with Beijing leadership

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SEOUL/TIANJIN, China, June 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's prime minister arrived in China on Sunday to discuss North Korean issues with the Chinese leadership and touch on other bilateral matters, his office said.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn's five-day trip takes him to Tianjin where he will participate in the Summer Davos Forum 2016. At the gathering, he plans to introduce South Korea's flagship creative economy policy, which aims to generate new business opportunities through the merging of different industries and fostering startups.

At a dinner with South Korean businessmen in Tianjin on Sunday, kicking off his two-day stay in the industrial city, Hwang extolled virtues of the South Korean firms operating in China.

"With a unique competitive edge, South Korean companies will discover growth opportunities even during difficult times, and will emerge as the market leader in China," Hwang said. "Our businessmen have overcome a lot of challenges, including the ever-changing Chinese and global economies."

Hwang explained that he chose Tianjin as his first destination to encourage South Korean businesses to battle through their adversity in China. He added that the South Korean government is fully aware of their efforts to overcome such difficulties, saying he hoped a visit like his will help ease their problems.

The top policymaker plans to move to Beijing late Monday where he will meet with China's President Xi Jinping and his counterpart, Premier Li Keqiang, to discuss the North's recent firing of its Musudan missile and its impact on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The launch has caused Beijing to call on all sides to exercise restraint so as not to further escalate tensions.

The prime minister's office said Hwang will call for ways for the two countries to expand cooperation on dealing with Pyongyang's actions.

During talks with the Chinese leadership, the prime minister is, moreover, expected to convey Seoul's growing concerns over illegal fishing activities by Chinese boats that have routinely entered the tense inter-Korean sea border region.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Hwang will become the first sitting South Korean prime minister to visit Liaoning, a province that borders North Korea. He is scheduled to meet with Chinese leaders and businessmen to help plot a course for future bilateral exchanges.

Hwang will return to Seoul on Thursday.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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