South Korean Ministry of Unification said on Monday that inter-Korean trade turnover was zero in the last 5 months due to tension on the Korean Peninsula, following the shutting down of the jointly-run Kaesong industrial zone. The same day, a South Korean diplomat said that Seoul suggested organizing a bilateral meeting with North Korea on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Brunei early next week, where South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his North Korean counter part Pak Ui-chun will be present. In related news, South Korean President Park Gyn Hae, said on Monday that Seoul will strengthen cooperation with China in order to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. Park is scheduled to visit China from June 26 to 30. She will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues including Pyongyang’s nuclear program.