"On Return Trip, Stop by China to Explain Talks," So Byeonghun Deletes SNS Post After "Are We a Vassal State?" Backlash

A post by So Byeonghun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, which he uploaded and then deleted on his social networking service (SNS). Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] On the 23rd, Democratic Party lawmaker So Byeonghun posted a message on social networking services (SNS) suggesting that the results of the South Korea-US summit be explained to the Chinese side, but deleted it after strong backlash.

The day before, So posted on his Twitter and Facebook, "I hope that one of the key aides accompanying President Moon on his way back home stops by China to explain the summit."

This statement is interpreted as expressing concern over China's backlash through state media regarding the 'Taiwan Strait' issue mentioned in the joint statement of the recent South Korea-US summit.

However, netizens responded coldly to the statement. Comments criticizing and condemning him included, "Are we a vassal state of China? Why should we go report to China?", "Are you telling him to report diplomatic secrets to Xi Jinping?", and "Are you a Chinese spy?".

Amid the controversy, So deleted the post that evening. Nevertheless, it continues to be discussed and criticized through online communities.

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden held a joint press conference after their summit at the White House on the afternoon of the 21st (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, Presidents Moon and Biden, after their summit at the White House on the 21st (local time), explicitly stated the "importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" in the joint South Korea-US statement and press conference.

This is a sensitive issue for China, and it is the first time that South Korea and the US have publicly mentioned the Taiwan issue in a joint statement between heads of state.

Meanwhile, China has expressed displeasure mainly through state media, such as the state-run Global Times (Huanqiu Wang) publishing an article titled "Interference in Internal Affairs! The South Korea-US Joint Statement Also Mentioned the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.