South Korea, China agree North Korea should be given aid if it denuclearises: South Korea

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in walk together to their summit in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 9, 2018. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday North Korea should be guaranteed economic aid if it were to undertake complete denuclearisation, a South Korean presidential official said.

"The two heads of state agreed the international society, including the United States, should help guarantee a bright future for North Korea like ensuring the regime's security and economic development if North Korea completely denuclearises," Blue House official Yoon Young-chan told reporters.

Moon and Li, in Tokyo for a trilateral summit with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also agreed that South Korea and China could begin joint research to assess possible railway projects to connect the two countries, via North Korea, Yoon said.

(Reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Robert Birsel)