Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Yoon bets on strengthening ties with democratic allies
President Yoon Suk Yeol walks with U.S. President Joe Biden for their state dinner at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul in this May 21, 2022 photo. AP-Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Experts urge president to tread carefully as China, Russia warn of consequences
By Jung Min-ho
Tensions are mounting between South Korea and its two powerful neighbors ― China and Russia ― as Seoul has become ever more vocal about some of their most sensitive issues, under President Yoon Suk Yeol.
As South Korea's diplomatic tilt toward its democratic allies has become increasingly evident, experts are urging the president to tread carefully to avoid upsetting the security dynamics in the region where Seoul shares key interests with both Beijing and Moscow.
China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang issued a warning, Friday, in a statement apparently aimed at Yoon's recent remarks on Taiwan, an island China claims as its own.
“Recently, there has been some absurd rhetoric accusing China of unilaterally changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, through force or coercion, and of disrupting peace and stability across the Strait,” Qin told the audience at a forum in Shanghai. “The logic is absurd and the consequences dangerous … Those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned.”
This comes two days after Yoon stated his stance on Taiwan during a media interview that he “opposes attempts to change the status quo by force.” The next day, Seoul and Beijing traded barbs over the issue, lodging an official complaint with each other's ambassador.
In that interview, Yoon also suggested South Korea's possible military support of Ukraine's war effort against the Russian invaders. When threatened by Russia that it could send advanced weapons to North Korea, Seoul doubled down on that bold message by saying its next move “depends on Russia.”
Yoon's interview comments and such tougher-than-usual diplomatic responses are perhaps part of his broad strategy ahead of his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on April 26 and the G7 meeting in Japan next month, said Kang Joon-young, an expert on China at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“The administration appears to think that strengthening ties with democratic allies such as the U.S., even at the expense of weakening relations with China, is in our national interest,” the professor said. “They could be right. But positioning our country as a spearheading member of ― rather than just among ― the pack defending certain values carries many risks.
“There should be a careful coordination over who speaks on what issues in which tones. At a time when China is stepping up efforts to make friends across the world, we do not have to make it an enemy, given the great security and economic interest in the country,” he said.
A protester with a banner showing an image of President Yoon Suk Yeol leading a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Friday, to denounce the policies of the United States and South Korea on North Korea. AP-Yonhap
Meanwhile, Yoon's unambiguous stances have been welcomed by Washington. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, called Seoul a “terrific ally, terrific friend” and said the U.S. takes the two countries' alliance “very, very seriously.”
The three decades of South Korea's strategic ambiguity between the one bloc represented by the U.S. and the other by China appears to have ended, perhaps permanently, said Hyun Seung-soo, an expert on Russia at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a think tank.
“India and several Southeast Asian countries have struck a good balance between the West and Russia while taking benefits from both sides. Can today's South Korea do the same? I do not think so, given North Korea's growing nuclear threat and South Korea's defense alliance with the U.S.,” Hyun said.
“But of course, there are many geopolitical risks that need to be managed carefully, such as South Korean businesses operating in Russia and North Korea reinforcing its military ties to Russia and possibly China … But I think, even after the end of the conflict in Ukraine, it would be difficult to restore South Korea-Russia business relations to pre-war levels.”
Yet most in the liberal political camp believe that South Korea should maintain that strategic balance. Since the revelation of Yoon's interview, they have criticized him in a unified voice. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, called on the president to retract his remarks on Ukraine and Taiwan.
“Our people and companies could suffer tremendous damage ― incomparably more than they did during [China's] THAAD revenge,” he said in a press conference, Friday. “Friendly relations with China and Russia, which would be essential for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and our national interest, should not be harmed.”