Seoul: Dai Bing, China's top envoy to South Korea, has visited the grave of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo to pay his respects ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea and China established diplomatic ties in August 1992 during Roh's presidency. Roh, who led the country from 1988 to 1993, played a pivotal role in fostering diplomatic relations with socialist countries, including the Soviet Union. Dai's visit to Roh's grave in Paju, located just northwest of Seoul, took place the day before the anniversary, which falls on Sunday.

The Chinese ambassador expressed his country's desire to maintain strong and friendly relations with South Korea, with aspirations to elevate these ties to a higher level, as reported by the embassy. Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung has committed to a diplomatic strategy that balances a "pragmatic" alliance with the United States while also aiming for stable relations with China.