Korea's Shift: "Pragmatic Balance" or "Playing Both Sides"?
Singapore's Straits Times reported on the evening of August 23: "South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will not attend the Chinese military parade commemorating the victory over Japanese aggression on September 3 in Beijing, but will send a special envoy to visit China. This visit coincides with his first visits to Japan and the United States since taking office. Both Chinese and South Korean scholars interviewed believe that Lee is following a pragmatic foreign policy, and this arrangement shows that he also values China, intending to deepen friendly relations with China on the basis of the U.S.-South Korea alliance."
This arrangement is clearly a correction of the previous president Yoon Suk-yeol's foreign policy. During Yoon's tenure, he unilaterally leaned towards the U.S. and Japan, leading to tension in Sino-Korean relations, domestic economic impact, and being overturned for promoting "martial law" related measures, eventually ending up in prison. Since taking office, Lee has been widely expected to adjust his strategy, seeking balance between China and the U.S.
But there are significant challenges: The Trump administration's "friend-or-foe" approach, imposing a 15% tariff on South Korea, and demanding that it invest $350 billion in the U.S. Under such pressure, Lee first visited the U.S. and Japan, aiming to rely on the U.S.-South Korea alliance while maintaining relations with China. On the surface, it seems "pragmatic," but in reality, it requires careful handling in the great power game. If the balance is not properly managed, what is called "pragmatic diplomacy" could end up in an awkward situation of "playing both sides." Whether it can achieve the expected results remains to be seen.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1841348618285056/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.