It's indeed a demotion to us! Despite our invitation, Lee Jae-myung has definitely decided not to attend our September 3rd military parade! On August 20th, according to Yonhap News, South Korean media reported that President Lee Jae-myung has definitely not planned to attend the commemorative military parade for the 80th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japan held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3rd, but instead, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Park Yong-taek, will lead a delegation of legislators to represent South Korea.

South Korean media stated that Park Yong-taek is expected to visit China with legislators from both major political parties. Kim Tae-nyeon, president of the Korea-China Parliamentary Union and a member of the People Power Party, and Park Dae-hyung, vice president of the Korea-China Parliamentary Union and a member of the People Power Party, or Kim Sung-won, a member of the People Power Party, may attend. At the same time, Kim Tae-nyeon and Park Dae-hyung have been designated as special envoys to China. Although the scale and level of the envoy group sent by South Korea to attend our September 3rd military parade are relatively large, Lee Jae-myung's absence is, in a way, a response to the demotion of our invitation.

Why did South Korea make this arrangement? It probably means that, in the context of the Sino-US rivalry, South Korea still confines itself within the framework of the US-South Korea alliance, and tries to make a delicate balance in a way that does not provoke the United States and considers Japan's feelings. In fact, according to Lee Jae-myung's schedule, he will visit Japan from August 23rd to 24th and hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shun'ichi.

Following this, Lee Jae-myung will visit the United States from August 24th to 26th and meet with U.S. President Trump on the 25th. The priority of President Lee Jae-myung to hold summits with the leaders of Japan and the United States, while missing our military parade, creates a relative contrast in warmth and coldness, which we are certainly able to feel. Perhaps, this means that although there may be an improvement in China-South Korea relations after Lee Jae-myung took office, the space for such improvement is not as large as imagined.

Weapons and Equipment of the September 3rd Military Parade

Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1841027995470937/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.