[The Editors' Verdict] Two Perspectives on the South Korea-U.S. Summit

The summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden shocked both pro-American and pro-China factions. This was because the Moon administration had been regarded as the most pro-China and anti-American among past governments. The two leaders reached agreements on security and the economy that exceeded expectations, creating an opportunity not only to restore but also to strengthen the alliance that had been shaken. South Korea agreed to cooperate in containing China, which threatens U.S. security, leveraging its economic power. They also agreed to invest in boosting the semiconductor, electric vehicle, and secondary battery manufacturing industries in the U.S. The U.S. agreed to lift South Korea’s missile range restrictions, cooperate in space exploration, produce its vaccines in South Korea, and become partners in the global nuclear power market. The Moon administration officials, who had previously chanted "security is America, economy is China" along with "nuclear phase-out and carbon neutrality," confirmed through this summit that security and economy cannot be separated and that nuclear power contributes to carbon neutrality. Democratic Party presidential candidates also seemed to change their stance, cheering President Moon’s self-praise of the summit as the best ever.

China has been negative about the outcomes of the South Korea-U.S. summit but remains reserved in its comments. As China faces isolation in the international community due to its expansionism and aggressive diplomacy, it had hoped South Korea would at least maintain neutrality. However, South Korea sided with the U.S. on the Taiwan issue, which China claims as its own territory, and on the Quad security dialogue involving the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia to contain China. It remains to be seen how China will respond, but South Korea must prepare for the aftershocks of the summit. Pro-China factions cite the fact that over a quarter of South Korea’s trade comes from China as a reason to warn of economic retaliation. If so, South Korea should diversify its exports and imports to reduce dependence on China and enhance its competitiveness, widening the gap with China. A submissive attitude that kowtows to China as a great power will only invite economic retaliation. Those who believe in Sinocentrism, claiming China is the center of the world and looking up to China as a motherland, will likely label the summit as a failed diplomatic effort.

The U.S. is encouraged by the South Korea-U.S. summit. President Biden, an experienced diplomat, repeatedly expressed gratitude while naming Korean manufacturers investing in the U.S. This is because South Korea’s participation in the U.S.-led global supply chain restructuring has given momentum to America’s global strategy. However, since capital invested domestically is moving to the U.S., South Korea must be wary of deindustrialization. Continued relocation of manufacturing to the U.S. will worsen South Korea’s employment issues and remove the economic safety net just when an economic crisis could strike. Pro-American figures tend to overlook these risks due to excessive expectations of the U.S. South Korea should seize cooperation with the U.S. as an opportunity to acquire advanced technology and boost economic growth. Moreover, it should develop its own global strategy that uses the U.S. to catch up with Japan and fend off China’s pursuit. This requires strengthening trust with the U.S. by sharing the values of liberal democracy.

In South Korea, two conflicting views on the summit are causing friction. The pro-American and pro-China perspectives have deteriorated into a conservative-progressive conflict. There is no conservatism or progressivism when it comes to national interest. However, South Korea has wavered on this. Whether strengthening the alliance with the U.S. or enhancing cooperation with China, South Korea must be at the center. Both pro-American conservatives and pro-China progressives must face reality soberly. If policies toward the U.S. and China keep changing due to conflicts between pro-American and pro-China or conservatives and progressives, South Korea will lose trust and create vulnerabilities for itself.

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