President Lee Jae Myung, who is on a state visit to China, says he has asked his Chinese counterpart to act as a mediator on matters pertaining to the Korea Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue.

At a luncheon with the presidential press corps in Shanghai on Wednesday, Lee said he made the request during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping two days earlier.

The South Korean leader asked Beijing to mediate for peace between the two Koreas as all channels of communication between Seoul and Pyongyang are currently deadlocked, with nothing left but hostility.

Lee said the Chinese side agreed that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are matters of paramount importance to China, adding that the issue impacts South Korea’s very existence in addition to its growth and development.

The Chinese leader, in response, called for patience in assessing efforts made thus far, a view that was echoed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, according to Lee.

The South Korean president said the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue will require significant time and effort and that it is important to understand Pyongyang’s anxiety.