Situation on Korean Peninsula undergoing "positive changes": Chinese envoy

SEOUL - The situation on the Korean Peninsula is undergoing positive changes as the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have taken the opportunity of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to restart dialogue and commence cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Han Zheng said Thursday.

Han, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said at a meeting with ROK President Moon Jae-in that the relationship between the ROK and the DPRK has improved and has been making progress.

China supports the conciliation and cooperation between the ROK and the DPRK, and hopes that relevant parties would meet each other half way and make joint efforts to further ease tension on the Korean Peninsula and push forward the political settlement process of the peninsula issue, Han said.

Han was invited by Moon and Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Friday.