Xi's Pyongyang visit could put a North Korea-US summit on agenda: South Korea

South Korea said Thursday that a possible Pyongyang-Washington summit could be on the agenda if Chinese President Xi Jinping's reported visit to North Korea materializes.

Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday that Xi is expected to visit North Korea as early as next week, citing South Korean government sources and pointing to recent visits by his security and ceremonial staff to Pyongyang.

If that happens, a North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump summit "will surely be discussed," Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told reporters in Seoul, while noting that Xi's visit has not yet been confirmed by Beijing.

"Gigantic tectonic plates are in motion," he said, referring to high-level summits involving the US, China, and Russia.

US President Donald Trump made a three-day visit to China last week, while Russian President Vladimir Putin followed with a two-day visit this week.

"Now is time for us to deeply contemplate strategic options for stability, peace and mutual prosperity amidst these tectonic changes in the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia surrounding the Korean Peninsula," Chung added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters Thursday that both China and North Korea are "good friends and close neighbors," when asked about the possible visit.

"The two parties and two countries have long been maintaining the tradition of friendly exchanges. It serves the interests of the two countries and is conducive to regional peace and stability," he said, without providing further details.

China and North Korea mark the 65th anniversary of signing a comprehensive treaty on cooperation this year.

Xi's possible visit also follows summit talks with Trump and Putin in Beijing.