South Korea's Lee asks Xi to play 'mediator' role with North

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that he had requested China's assistance in limiting North Korea's nuclear program.

Lee has said he seeks to open a "new phase" of ties with China.

Lee said he told Xi that he would like Beijing to take on a "mediating role" in the Korean Peninsula.

"I would like China to play a mediating role on issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's nuclear program. All our channels are completely blocked," Lee told journalists in Shanghai.

"We hope China can serve as a mediator — a mediator for peace."

Lee said that Xi had told him to show "patience" toward North Korea amid rising tensions.

"For quite a long period, we carried out military actions that North Korea would have perceived as threatening," Lee said.

The South Korean president said he hoped he could get Pyongyang to halt further development of its nuclear program.

"Just stopping at the current level — no additional production of nuclear weapons, no transfer of nuclear materials abroad, and no further development of [intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS)]— would already be a gain," he said.

But he insisted that a "nuclear-free Korean Peninsula" remained a long-term goal for Seoul.

Lee said that Seoul had reached a "consensus" on these issues with Beijing.

North Korea has carried out a flurry of ballistic missile tests in recent years alongside efforts to boost its nuclear capabilities, with its leader, Kim Jong-un, citing the need for a deterrent against the United States.

His left-leaning Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) tends to call for stronger ties with China and a less confrontational approach to North Korea than the rival People Power Party (PPP).

China is South Korea's top trading partner, but Seoul also maintains strong defense ties with the United States.