By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter


Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit South Korea on Nov. 16-19, the Seoul government said Wednesday.

After holding a summit with President Roh Moo-hyun upon his arrival, Hu plans to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Pusan on Nov. 18-19.

``President Hu plans to make a state visit to South Korea,’’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon said at a forum in Seoul. ``A welcoming ceremony will be held.’’

Ban made the remarks in response to a question on Hu’s possible cancellation of his participation in the APEC summit as a sign of protest against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s controversial visit to a shrine in Tokyo.

``I’ve never heard of such a story,’’ Ban said. ``There has been no case of a setback in the history of the APEC summit, which has been held 13 times, due to a bilateral diplomatic rift.’’

Seoul and Beijing have strongly criticized Koizumi’s visit to the Yasukuni shrine on Monday, which includes memorials to convicted war criminals.

In a related development, Ban declined to comment on Japan’s media reports that Hu is likely to visit Pyongyang later this month and meet North Korean leader Kim Joing-il. ``That’s a matter on which the Chinese government will make an announcement,’’ Ban said.

But he added that such a visit will be helpful in creating an amicable atmosphere for the reopening of the six-party denuclearization talks early next month.

``I think close consultations through visits by officials of various levels could help to create a good atmosphere for the resumption of the six-party talks,’’ Ban said.

Quoting sources close to China and North Korea, Kyodo News Agency reported that Hu’s visit to Pyongyang would take place around Oct. 24.

His visit to Pyongyang is expected to help set the date of the next round of the six-party talks.

The two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan agreed last month to reopen the talks in Beijing early next month with the exact date to be decided through consultations.

im@koreatimes.co.kr