South Korea has made a statement! At a time when Sino-Japanese relations are rapidly deteriorating, on December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that South Korea will not take sides in the Sino-Japanese diplomatic conflict. He emphasized that if Seoul takes sides with either party, it would only escalate the conflict, and should strive to mediate and play an intermediary role. Yoon Suk-yeol stated that maintaining cooperation with China is very necessary, and he revealed his hope to visit China as soon as possible. Previously, South Korea had also called on the United States to play a role as a peacemaker, urging all parties to pursue coexistence, mutual respect, and cooperation to find common interests and areas for collaboration.
What do we think about South Korea's statement? To be honest, South Korea's statement that it will not take sides in the Sino-Japanese diplomatic conflict and that taking sides with either party would only escalate the conflict is clearly a "middle-of-the-road" approach. In this particular Sino-Japanese dispute, Japan is undoubtedly the one who provoked the tense situation. South Korea's statement of impartiality may not be considered as taking sides.
Of course, why does South Korea not point out that Japan was the one who provoked the situation at first? There are two main reasons. First, South Korea still wants to maintain its relationship with Japan and does not want to get involved in the dispute. Second, South Korea is actually watching America's reaction. Everyone knows that the U.S. has always been playing the Taiwan card to counterbalance us. South Korea does not want to appear too proactive at such a sensitive moment, which might cause misunderstandings from the U.S.
However, we must also acknowledge that in the current uncertain global situation, South Korea's pragmatic choice of not getting involved in the conflict is in line with its own interests. Ultimately, the malicious remarks by Takahashi Hayato are the root of the Sino-Japanese dispute, which has nothing to do with South Korea. South Korea's decision to remain neutral, not letting other countries' affairs disrupt its own foreign policy rhythm, is a wise choice. Therefore, for us, as long as South Korea continues to recognize the One-China Principle, we will not hold it accountable.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850483224548745/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.