National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Taiyangdao Hotel in Harbin. Courtesy of Woo's office

Chinese President Xi Jinping is considering visiting Korea for the first time in 11 years to attend the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in November.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with Xi, Friday, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Asian Winter Games in Harbin.

"Korea is hosting the APEC summit this year, and China will host it next year. I believe President Xi's visit to Korea will be a cornerstone of a successful APEC summit in Gyeongju and Korea-China relations," Woo said.

During the meeting, Woo assured Xi that Korea remains politically stable. Woo had earlier told reporters that he hopes to meet with Xi during the trip.

Xi said he will seriously consider a visit to Korea for the APEC summit. The Chinese leader last visited Korea in July 2014, when he met with then-President Park Geun-hye in Seoul.

The Chinese leader also called for stable ties with Korea despite the fallout of the martial law declaration, saying, "Koreans have the wisdom and ability to handle domestic issues."

"The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere," the Assembly speaker's office said. The meeting between the two lasted around 40 minutes. It was originally scheduled for 15 minutes.

Earlier in the day, he attended a luncheon hosted by Xi for the leaders of the countries competing in the Games. Woo met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach along with dignitaries from other Asian countries.

On Wednesday, the Assembly speaker met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, in Beijing, and assured that Korea remains stable despite the political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration late last year.

During his trip, Woo plans to hold talks with multiple Chinese officials on strengthening economic cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. He also plans to visit historical sites related to the Korean independence movement in China.