hankyoreh

South Korean Foreign Minister Lee Sang-ok and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Qichen shake hands on Aug. 24, 1992, after signing a joint communique establishing diplomatic ties between their two nations. (Yonhap News)

During the Korean War, South Korea and China met as enemies. But on Aug. 24, 1992, they put the long shadow of the Cold War behind them and established diplomatic ties.

It ushered in a win-win era, as South Korean investment and technology combined with China’s labor, land and market. China became South Korea’s single biggest market, accounting for 25% of its exports in 2021. The bilateral relationship has also been underpinned by hopes that Beijing might play a crucial role in solving the worsening North Korean nuclear issue.

As the two sides prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, their situation stands at a moment of crisis and a crossroads.

Since China’s decision to impose retaliatory measures in response to the 2016 deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system with US Forces Korea, South Koreans have come to harbor growing doubts about their relationship with China. That same THAAD issue is now looming large once again in the wake of an Aug. 9 meeting of the two sides’ foreign ministers.

On that occasion, China came out officially calling for an approach adding operational restrictions on the existing THAAD battery to Seoul’s previous “three noes” stance on the anti-missile system. In response, the South Korean presidential office stressed that THAAD was a “matter of security sovereignty that is not subject to discussions.” It also announced plans to “normalize” the THAAD base in Seongju by the end of the month.

The fact that the North Korean nuclear program was not mentioned at all in China’s reports on the outcome of the meeting of the two countries’ foreign ministers shows how much more difficult it has become for China to cooperate meaningfully with South Korea on resolving that issue.

In terms of the economy, the previously cooperative and cooperative relationship between them — where China would use intermediate goods exported by South Korea to export its own finished products to the rest of the world — is increasingly giving way to a relationship of competition in high-tech product areas.

One factor behind this is China’s policy approach emphasizing technology development and self-sufficiency. Another is the collateral damage that South Korean companies are suffering as the US pushes for “decoupling” of its advanced technology supply chains with China amid those two sides’ battle for dominance.

It’s a trend that seems poised to only intensify as the US expands the scope of its efforts to break up supply chains with China to areas beyond semiconductors, including electric vehicles, batteries and key minerals.

The fact that attitudes have soured to the point where 80 percent of South Koreans express negative views of China illustrates a profound crisis in the two sides’ relationship. China needs to reflect on its own responsibility for the state of South Korean opinion. There has to be a shift in China’s stance of looking down on South Korea — as when Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave a list of “five requirements” for Seoul to fulfill — and regarding South Korea as a “horse” in US-China relations.

From security to the economy and the attitudes of the public on both sides, the dilemmas for South Korea-China relations have only grown. Both of them need to recognize each other as important neighbors and work harder to manage and improve their relationship.

When it comes to key national interests and matters of sovereignty, Seoul needs to show the diplomatic ability to clearly establish its principles and actively win support for its position, even in its diplomatic dealings with major powers. It should reduce its overdependence on the Chinese market and Chinese raw materials, while increasing cooperation with countries in a similar position to its own as it goes about developing different alternatives.

Most important, it needs to unify opinion at home and show both circumspection and flexibility. It’s time to draw a new and clear map for South Korea-China relations — and to clear the path forward.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]