South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is expected to seek common ground with Beijing on issues such as North Korea’s nuclear program and sanctions during his January trip, while also working to steady bilateral ties in hopes of creating a more predictable external environment for the country’s economy and businesses, according to experts. Lee is set to visit China in early January, marking his first trip to the country since taking office in June. It is the first visit to China by a sitting South Korean president since Moon Jae-in attended the Korea-Japan-China summit in 2019. The upcoming visit follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to South Korea in late October for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting — Xi’s first visit to Korea since 2014. Although details have yet to be announced by either side, a South Korean official said earlier that the two countries were in talks and more information would be made public shortly. Raising further anticipation for Lee’s visit, South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo held a str