President Lee Jae Myung said that his recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping was significant, marking a complete restoration of bilateral relations and a return to practical, mutually beneficial cooperation as strategic partners.

Lee shared the assessment in a Facebook post on Sunday, a day after his summit with Xi, following the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Gyeongju.

Recalling Xi’s remarks during the talks that the two nations are “important and close neighbors” who cannot move apart, Lee stressed that the two countries have built mutual trust through long-standing exchange that transcends differences in social systems and ideology.

The president noted that the two sides agreed to activate high-level communication channels regularly and expand people-to-people and regional exchanges, pledging to deepen their relationship.

Lee also underscored that he will strive to produce "tangible results" that citizens of both nations can feel, emphasizing that livelihoods are the highest priority.

Lee added that he hopes to visit China "in the not-too-distant future" and help the two nations become even closer as neighbors.