Speaker Woo:"I communicated with the President's Office, but he wasn't a special envoy... I didn't bring President Lee's message."

"Inter-Korean relations are in a difficult situation, unlike seven years ago. It's crucial to build peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Regarding the UNESCO General Assembly, Yu said,"Please convey the message of Geumgangsan, Wonsan, and Galma to Kim." Putin replied,"I understand."

Press conference in China..."Xi Jinping said, 'See you at APEC,' and I nodded."

(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seong-jo = National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, who is visiting Beijing to attend China's 80th anniversary of the Victory Day celebrations, revealed details of his brief greetings with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 3rd (local time), and also expressed his will to improve inter-Korean relations.

Chairman Wu met with Korean media correspondents on the 4th and explained that he met Chairman Kim at the waiting area before climbing the Tiananmen Square watchtower just before the Victory Day military parade the previous day and shook his hand, saying,"It's been a long time. It's been seven years. Nice to meet you," to which Chairman Kim replied,"Yes, nice to meet you."

Rep. Park Jeong of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was present at the meeting, added that Chairman Kim responded in a small voice.

Chairman Woo said that it was difficult to have further conversations with Chairman Kim due to the situation at the parade staging area at the time.

He said,"I met Chairman Kim very briefly, and I thought that we might take different paths and that it might be difficult to meet this time," adding,"In that situation, we met briefly and shook hands, and I felt on the spot that the current situation is extremely difficult, unlike the situation seven years ago. I thought it was important to successfully create peace on the Korean Peninsula."

This is the second time that Chairman Woo has met with Chairman Kim.

Chairman Woo met Chairman Kim at a welcoming dinner for the 2018 inter-Korean summit when he was the Democratic Party floor leader.

He also relayed in detail the conversation he had with President Putin the day before at a welcome reception luncheon held at the Great Hall of the People about inter-Korean relations and the situation of Korean businesses in Russia.

According to Speaker Woo, President Putin asked, “What do you think, Speaker, about inter-Korean relations?” Speaker Woo responded, “Protecting peace on the Korean Peninsula is linked to world peace and the safety of our people,” and “I hope President Putin will also take an interest in creating peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Then, President Putin asked again,"When you meet Chairman Kim Jong-un, what would you like me to tell him?" and Chairman Woo responded,"Our new government has come to power, and it is very important to open an era of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," adding,"I would like to approach the issue of cultural exchange as the first step in creating that atmosphere."

Chairman Woo mentioned to President Putin that this year, South Korea's Bangudae Petroglyphs and North Korea's Mount Kumgang were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and that the UNESCO General Assembly will be held in South Korea next year.

He also expressed his hope that the participants of the UNESCO General Assembly next year would be able to visit Mt. Kumgang while touring Korea's heritage sites, saying,"I too would like to go to Mt. Kumgang and then to Wonsan and Kalma. I would like you to tell me a little bit about that," and President Putin responded,"I understand," according to Chairman Woo.

Chairman Woo also reported that when President Putin asked Chairman Woo to pay attention to the difficulties faced by 130 Korean companies operating in Russia, Chairman Woo said,"I know."

Meanwhile, he added that he exchanged greetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping the day before and said,"I will see you again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will be held in Gyeongju this year," to which President Xi nodded.

Amidst assessments that China has solidified its anti-Western alliance by gathering the leaders of 26 allied countries, including North Korea and Russia, for this military parade, some have raised concerns about Chairman Wu's visit to China.

Chairman Woo said,"This year marks the 80th anniversary of our country's liberation, and China's 80th anniversary is the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. We share a history of fighting against Japan, gaining independence, and winning," and explained,"I believe that sharing such historical facts can serve as a foundation for expanding solidarity, and I focused my participation on developing Korea-China relations by focusing on that point."

Regarding his handshake with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief (Acting President) Min Aung Hlaing, who has been criticized for suppressing democratic forces, at the military parade the previous day, he said,"There are 1,500 of our people in Myanmar, and I asked them to pay attention to their safety and lives. In multilateral diplomacy, there is not much that can be done when asking for a favor first," and "I feel solidarity with the fighters working for democracy in Myanmar."

Regarding claims that Speaker Woo brought a message from President Lee Jae-myung with him during his recent visit to China, he stated,"I did not bring one. The Speaker of the National Assembly is not a special envoy to the President." He added,"There was communication with the Presidential Office, but there was no message to convey."