Voices for "Diplomacy Toward China" Even in the ROK Opposition... Concerns Over US-Japan Bias

Yoo Seung-min "We Must Secure the Freedom to Engage in Economic Exchanges with China"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is expanding trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan through the Group of Seven (G7) summit and the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit, but it appears that diplomacy with China is being sidelined amid a U.S.-Japan diplomatic bias. Voices calling for President Yoon to engage in diplomacy with China are growing not only from the opposition but also within the ruling party. China has expressed a "stern stance," putting pressure on South Korea's diplomacy.

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min said on the 23rd through his social media (SNS), "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration must now formulate a strategy on how to engage with China over the next four years and embark on diplomacy with China." He added, "Strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance is the right choice, but we must also secure the freedom to engage in economic exchanges with China."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He stated, "European countries such as Germany and France, Japan, Australia, India, and even the United States itself continue various economic exchanges with China. President Biden also said, 'We do not want to sever ties with China.'" He continued, "Having solidified the South Korea-U.S. alliance and South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation, it is now time for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to develop a strategy on how to engage with China over the next four years and pursue diplomacy with China."

He particularly pointed out that recent U.S. sanctions on Micron by China have put South Korean semiconductor companies in a difficult position caught between the U.S. and China. Since Micron is sanctioned, South Korean companies are essentially the only ones able to sell semiconductors to China, but the U.S. has requested that they restrain sales.

Former lawmaker Yoo said, "This issue raises questions such as 'Which choice aligns with the national interest of the Republic of Korea?' and 'Memory semiconductors are not system semiconductors needed for advanced weapons, so can a foreign (U.S.) government interfere with our companies' sales by violating the principle of free trade? Can our government restrict sales by private companies?'"

While opposition figures in diplomacy and security have pointed out the necessity of diplomacy with China, voices within the ruling party have also criticized President Yoon's diplomatic bias toward the U.S. and Japan. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won emphasized the need for diplomacy with China on the 22nd via SNS, saying, "Our economy is dying due to President Yoon's diplomatic failures. If our economy dies because of U.S.-Japan biased diplomacy, the Democratic Party must step up for balanced diplomacy."

Former Director of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy Hong Hyun-ik also said on KBS's "Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs," "If a major upheaval occurs in North Korea causing a sudden crisis, it is almost impossible to manage it well and achieve peaceful unification without China's cooperation." He added, "Now we must also pay attention to China and Russia. That time has come."

Meanwhile, following President Yoon's remarks opposing "a change of the status quo by force in the Taiwan Strait," China warned through state-run media that "if there is no correction, the South Korea-China-Japan summit will be difficult," and during the South Korea-China foreign ministry director-level talks held on the 22nd, China expressed a "stern stance" on its core interests. The "core interests" are presumed to be related to Taiwan.

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