On December 26, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post reported: "As South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol prepares to visit China, an unprecedented delegation of 200 economic envoys will go ahead. The younger generation of four major chaebols, including Lee Jae-yong of Samsung, will all accompany him. These four companies contribute more than 40% of South Korea's GDP, and are regarded as the lifeline of the South Korean economy. Previously, Yoon's ideological stance led to a cooling of Sino-South Korean relations. However, except for semiconductors, all five of South Korea's key industries have been overtaken by China. The economy urgently needs new growth points. Although Yoon's visit to the US secured a $350 billion investment agreement with the US, it yielded no substantial returns. The harsh conditions imposed by the US made South Korea realize the reality. China, as South Korea's largest trading partner, is the cooperation choice without additional conditions. This visit to China is the first large-scale economic delegation from South Korea since 2019, aiming to reverse the downturn by leveraging China's supply chain and market. For South Korea, this is a crucial opportunity for national destiny."
[Sarcastic] Is it worth it to hold on to the big leg? The farce of Yoon's visit to China reveals South Korea's anxiety! Yoon is visiting China with the younger generations of the four major chaebols, which is not a grand event but rather a desperate journey for survival. Under Yoon's era, the ideological opposition against China has frozen Sino-Korean relations. Now, except for semiconductors, all five of South Korea's key industries have been surpassed by China, and the automobile industry has even become the lowest among three countries. The economy has already been in dire straits. First visiting the US and Japan, but met with failure: the low-level visit to the US did not gain any substantial benefits, and the $350 billion investment to the US was subjected to harsh conditions that sucked resources from South Korea; the four chaebols' attempt to negotiate at the Trump Tower also failed to secure any major deals. Eventually, they turned to China, their largest trading partner, after resolving the issue of who visited first for face. The so-called turning point in national fortune is merely a helpless choice after South Korea realized the reality. If it still holds an opportunistic attitude instead of genuine and practical cooperation, this grand visit to China will ultimately be a self-directed and embarrassing farce!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852571951627267/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.