Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
South Korean FM vows to manage differences with China during ministerial meeting
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during their meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Monday. Joint Press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
China's Wang Yi calls for exclusion of interference
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Monday, emphasizing the critical need for Seoul and Beijing to sustain "the momentum of cooperation" while carefully managing any differences to prevent "an escalation into conflicts."
Cho and Wang met at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing after South Korea's top diplomat arrived there earlier in the day for a two-day trip to China.
While the two had a ministerial meeting in Busan last November, it marked the first time a South Korean foreign minister has visited Beijing in six years and six months, since former Minister Kang Kyung-hwa's visit in 2017 during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration.
The Cho-Wang meeting has been widely anticipated as a crucial opportunity to seek a breakthrough in South Korea's relations with China, which have soured amid the deepening rivalry between the United States and China and Seoul's increasingly close alignment with Washington.
"South Korea does not view foreign relations as zero-sum games," Cho said during his opening remarks.
"To improve the mutual perception of citizens of both countries, which has deteriorated over the past few years, we need to have a reciprocal perspective to acknowledge the differences, understand each other and expand the common grounds."
During the meeting, Cho and Wang reportedly discussed arrangements for topics and schedules related to a trilateral summit that also includes Japan, anticipated for May 26 and 27. The trilateral summit is expected to be a crucial moment for the diplomatic landscape in Northeast Asia, particularly as Seoul and Tokyo strengthen their strategic alignment with Washington.
Before departing for Beijing, Cho told reporters in Seoul that he will "clearly articulate our position in matters related to principles, but will focus on areas with ample potential for cooperation," implying that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration will keep its strategic alignment with the U.S., but maintain its partnerships with Beijing in potential areas of cooperation.
Yoon has been stressing his strong opposition to attempts to change the status quo by force, in an apparent reference to China's claim to Taiwan. In response, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming has caused controversies by suggesting that Seoul is making "wrong bets," a statement interpreted as possible interference in internal affairs.
Against this backdrop, South Korea's possible participation in the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, Britain and the U.S. was discussed during a two-plus-two meeting among the foreign and defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia, though the invitation was limited to high-tech areas such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonics.
In a meeting with Korean business leaders in Beijing before the ministerial meeting, Cho said, "The two countries' economic relation is now transforming from a complementary partnership to a rivalry," and "this is also becoming a serious challenge for us as well."
Wang also acknowledged that the current Seoul-Beijing relations are facing growing difficulties and challenges, adding that such developments are not aligned with the mutual interests of both sides and are not the desired outcome for China.
"I hope China and South Korea will uphold the original spirit of diplomatic relations, maintain the direction of mutual friendship, firmly establish mutual benefit and cooperation goals and exclude interference," Wang said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi meet at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Monday. Joint Press Corps
During the meeting, the ministers are believed to have discussed North Korea's strengthening military ties with Russia and Beijing's role in deterring Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions.
"Of course, the issue (North Korea's military cooperation with Russia) will be discussed in talks concerning regional and international affairs, and such cooperation represents an obvious violation of United Nations resolutions," Cho said before departing for Beijing. "We have been making efforts to cooperate with the international community to address this cooperation, and of course, I will urge China to play a constructive role in that regard."
While China has maintained a distance from the North's nuclear programs, it has neither exerted its influence on Pyongyang to slow down its dangerous ambitions nor joined the U.N.'s efforts to introduce new sanctions or resolutions against the North.
"The North Korean nuclear issue has always been a topic of discussion in bilateral talks between South Korea and China because it poses a serious threat to South Korean national security and it requires China's important role," Cho said.
"It is true that there are some difficulties due to recent developments in surrounding geopolitical conditions, and I will engage in in-depth conversation (with Wang) on how Seoul and Beijing will cooperate and how China will play a greater role."
China's forced repatriation of North Korean escapees is also expected to be discussed during the meeting.
The Yoon government has consistently urged Beijing to refrain from repatriating North Korean escapees against their will, but its statements have been significantly toned down — even though China recently sent dozens of defectors back to North Korea, where they are likely to face imprisonment, torture or death.
This was viewed as Seoul's efforts to maintain the cautious improvement of bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing, but at the same time invited criticisms among human rights groups.
Cho told reporters that he would raise the issue during the ministerial meeting, adding it is an interest of the Yoon administration.