▲ Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol speaks during a meeting of economy-related ministers at the government complex in Seoul on Jan. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

finance minister-China cooperation

S. Korea to promote cultural cooperation with China following summit talks: finance chief

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Monday the government will work to enhance cultural cooperation with China, in light of the recent summit talks between the two countries.

President Lee Jae Myung visited Beijing in early January for his second summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which, Lee has said, laid the foundation for the full restoration of bilateral relations.

"As the summit laid the groundwork for economic cooperation, we will also advance cultural cooperation to reinforce it," Koo said while presiding over a meeting of economy-related ministers.

During the meeting, Koo noted that the South Korean president's visit to China, the first in nine years, was a milestone in restoring bilateral ties and building a future-oriented foundation for cooperation.

"The government plans to gradually restore cultural exchanges across various fields, including arts, sports and tourism, as well as games, music, film and broadcasting, while expanding people-to-people exchanges," he added.

Relations between Seoul and Beijing have somewhat deteriorated in recent years, including a ban on Korean cultural content, which Beijing imposed in retaliation for Seoul's 2016 decision to host a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense antimissile battery. China has never formally acknowledged the existence of such restrictions.

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