From left to right are Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and China's Premier Li Keqiang listen to the speech of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the ASEAN Plus Three Summits (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Saturday, Nov. 12. Yonhap

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang expressed China's commitment to playing a constructive role for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during brief talks with President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday, a presidential official said.

Yoon met with Li in a waiting room when both attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three summit in Phnom Penh, the official told reporters, referring to a meeting that brought together leaders from ASEAN, and South Korea, China, and Japan.

"President Yoon expressed his hope for the development of South Korea-China relations based on the principle of mutual respect and reciprocity," the official said.

The two then exchanged views on North Korea's nuclear issue, with Yoon expressing concern over North Korea's recent provocations.

"Premier Li stated his view on the need for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and about China's constructive role for denuclearization," the official said. (Yonhap)