Senior diplomats from South Korea and China held regular talks on Monday to discuss a range of issues, including North Korea, ahead of President Park Geun-hye's state visit to Beijing later this month, officials said.

The one-day meeting in Beijing is also expected to discuss last week's deportation of nine young North Korean defectors, who were arrested in Laos then returned to the North via China.

"There is a possibility that the issue of North Korean defectors could be discussed," said a senior official at Seoul's foreign ministry on the condition of anonymity.

The North Koreans fled their totalitarian country in April, but were forced to return to China after being caught by the Laotian authorities on May 16 and then repatriated to the North last week, despite pleas by South Korea to send them to Seoul.

South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui led the "6th High-level Strategic Dialogue" between the two countries.

"The talks take place at a time when bilateral cooperation on Korean Peninsula issues is more imperative than ever before," said another ministry official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"In particular, ahead of President Park Geun-hye's upcoming visit to China, the two sides will take the opportunity to hold an extensive and in-depth discussion on a wide range of matters," the official said.

Also on the agenda were "constructive ways that the two countries can work together for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia, including the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue," the official said.

South Korea and China have held the vice minister-level talks since late 2008. (Yonhap News)