S.Korean defence ministrer to visit China next month

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin will visit China next month for talks with his Chinese counterpart on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, joint naval search and rescue operations and other issues of mutual concern, the S.Korean Defence ministry said in a statement issued here Monday. Kim reached the agreement when he met with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Singapore on Saturday, a senior ministry official said. The trip will be made in early July, the official said without giving exact dates. The two defense chiefs are expected to discuss joint naval search and rescue operations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the source said. In Saturday's meeting, the Chinese minister stressed the importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and said North Korea's denuclearization is in line with the interests of both Seoul and Beijing, according to the ministry official.