North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center right, makes a toast with Chinese President Xi Jinping, center left, during a banquet for the Chinese leader at the Mokran House in Pyongyang, Monday, in this photo taken from the North's official Korean Central Television the next day. Yonhap
South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday flagged Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for expanded military cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang as something worth watching closely.
"It was the first known case in which the subject has been raised publicly," a ministry official said, adding Seoul was monitoring the situation for any developments.
At Monday's summit between Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Xi said China remained firmly committed to protecting North Korea's interests and expanding practical cooperation across a broad range of areas, including the economy, trade, military, science and healthcare, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.
North Korea's media made no mention of military cooperation.
