Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the invitation of ROK President Park Geun-hye from July 3 to 4. Special Report

"Awareness of goodwill among the public in both countries has improved greatly. I was surprised to see some South Koreans watching a Chinese TV drama in Seoul. Although Chinese drama is not as popular as South Korean drama, the increasing interest in Chinese culture is an encouraging trend here.”

Zhang Muhui, 29, a Chinese who has worked in Seoul for almost three years

 

"South Korean universities are open and friendly to Chinese students. Some of my South Korean friends showed me their handwritten Chinese characters in a touching gesture of friendship. But most have only a limited knowledge about the diversity of China. Chinese students could act as a bridge to promote civil diplomacy.”

Tang Ye, 27, deputy chief of the Chinese Scholars Students Association in Korea and a student at Korea University in Seoul

"The South Korean television series My Love From the Star is so popular in China that one of my Chinese friends asked me to translate a message that she wanted to send to the leading actor, Kim Soo-hyun. But I don’t think that even this great example of popular culture will necessarily give a huge impetus to better understanding, as people in both countries already know a lot about each other.”

Kim Ah-young, 24, a South Korean who has studied and worked in China for 12 years

"I’ve been involved in the garment accessory business for about a decade in China. China is a good place to do business, since the labor costs here are lower than in South Korea and Chinese people work hard. I have two kids, and both study in Qingdao. I hope they can continue to live and work in China.”

Yi Jang-bog, 45, a South Korean businessman in Qingdao, Shandong province