Far East: South Korea’s New President’s Policy Priority Is “Balanced Diplomacy”
President Lee Jae Myung (third from left, second row) at the G7 in canada. via Yonhap.
After a clear and decisive victory was called for Lee Jae-myung as the new President of the Republic of Korea, it became clear what his vision for his country would be: to strengthen ties with his neighbors in the face of increasingly hostile and uncertain global politics.
On the campaign trail, Lee has been pledging to repair South Korea’s ties with China and North Korea, which have been in a critical state for years under the leadership of former President, Yoon Suk Yeol, who favored a strong relationship with Washington over one with Pyongyang or Beijing.
Despite public perception that Lee prioritizes closer ties with China, analysts suggest otherwise. They point to the new president’s vision of stabilizing China–South Korea relations while also maintaining a balanced approach with the United States. This strategy comes in response to the looming economic damage caused by heavy tariffs and the escalating U.S.–China trade war. Not to mention the current fragile state of the China-South Korea-Japan relations, which has been in peril til recently.
“On The Right Track”
One of the first few diplomatic actions that Lee took since taking office was to call Chinese President Xi Jinping, requesting China to play a more “constructive” role towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in order to establish peace and security. In response, President Xi has said that the Chinese side is willing to make efforts for the resolution of the issues as they are matters of common interest to the two countries.”
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung attending his inauguration ceremony. ANTHONY WALLACE via REUTERS
This call has been widely publicized by the Chinese state media as the ties between China and South Korea are “on the right track”, and that the two countries should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns.
In addition to his call with President Xi, Lee has also spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, signaling an effort to maintain diplomatic balance.
It seems that Lee’s priorities have been focused on improving ties with China. This has come as no surprise, as China has been South Korea’s largest trading partner and the relations between the two countries has deteriorated in recent years as the result of increasing diplomatic and security ties between South Korea and the U.S. such as the 2017 installation of a U.S. missile defence system which Beijing has expressed grave concerns over.
Inter-Korean Peace-Making
In dealing with the fierce rift with his neighbor to the north, Lee has taken steps to lower the intensity on the border by ordering his military to cease the broadcasts to the north and also urging activists to refrain from launching balloons filled with anti-regime flyers and electronic devices.
In the process, Lee has blamed his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, for escalating tensions with Pyongyang. The situation has further deteriorated, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejecting the idea of Korean reunification in January 2024. However, the tide has turned; now the big player in the field has shown up surprisingly. President Trump has signalled his intention to review and revive his diplomacy with Kim, which ultimately collapsed back in 2019. Experts have also foreseen that Lee will most likely support a third Trump-Kim summit and will not oppose the U.S. troops’ reductions from the Korean peninsula, should Washington insist in the near future.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with President Trump north of the military demarcation line that divides North and South Korea Back in 2019. Brendan Smialowski, AFP via Getty Images.
A Balancing Act In The Making
While some analysts have mentioned that the South Korean-Japanese relations may deteriorate under Lee’s leadership, Lee himself has mentioned that he will maintain the security and cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo. He has also stressed the trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan during his inaugural address.
Lee, however, will still have to run through the massive, unresolved historical issues between the two countries, which have plagued much of President Moon Jae-in’s diplomatic policies. Lee has promised full cooperation on this matter.
President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada on June 17. via Newsis.
In regards to the relationship with the G-7 and NATO, Lee seeks to follow the steps taken prior by President Moon, who attended the G-7 summits and sent his foreign ministers in the NATO-IP4 framework. This aligns directly with Lee’s remarks on the need for South Korea to strengthen its defenses through increased spending. He has emphasized that he will not abandon the principle of deterrence, even as he seeks to revive and improve inter-Korean relations.
These comments and actions by Lee signal that his “balanced diplomacy” has already begun. As he made his diplomatic debut at the G7 in Canada from June 16-17, the increased engagement from both the Chinese and American sides has been widely discussed and commented upon. While China has been quite critical of the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s comments made last month during the Shangri-La Dialogue, South Korea should also consider the dilemma of sharing the defense cost with the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, as highlighted in one of President Trump’s concerns.
His administration must, therefore, rely on its own efforts to maintain good diplomatic ties with all G7 parties involved while also working to bring China in as a constructive partner all the while dealing the Korean peninsula denuclearization and all of that will put immense amount of stress on his administration for the next five years of the term.