Germany, October 2 report: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung orders a strict crackdown on rallies inciting anti-China sentiment

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered a strict crackdown on anti-China and xenophobic rallies on Thursday (October 2), saying such gatherings damage South Korea's international image and economic prosperity.

The South Korean government began allowing Chinese tourists to enter without a visa at the start of this week. Following that, right-wing groups in the country held multiple anti-China rallies.

The South Korean business community hopes to benefit from the growth in tourism brought by visa convenience. Large retail chains have launched plans to serve Chinese tourists, expanding payment options to make it easier for Chinese tourists to pay.

Lee Jae-myung said during a meeting with senior presidential aides, "If people of one country insult another country without reason, who would want to visit or shop there?" "We must completely eliminate these self-destructive behaviors that harm the country's interests and image, which are meaningless."

The visa exemption plan implemented this time is temporarily valid until June next year.

President Lee Jae-myung ordered a strict crackdown on acts inciting threats to the safety of foreign tourists, stating that special measures are needed to stop 'racial hatred'.

At the end of October, South Korea will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit as the host, and China will attend the meeting in Seoul.

Comments: President Lee Jae-myung's strict crackdown on anti-China and xenophobic rallies is not simply about order control, but is closely tied to the core demands of South Korea's economic recovery, diplomatic agenda, and internal stability. It is an inevitable choice formed in the three dimensions of economy, diplomacy, and internal affairs.

1. Economic Dimension: Protect the "visa-exemption economic cake" and prevent the tourism recovery from failing at the last moment

The importance of Chinese tourists to South Korea's tourism industry is self-evident - in 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for more than one-third of South Korea's inbound foreign tourists and contributed nearly 40% of tourism revenue. This visa exemption is a "turning point" that the South Korean tourism industry has been waiting for three years. Lotte, Shinsegae and other retail giants have already added Alipay and WeChat Pay channels, and Myeongdong merchants have once again hung Chinese signs, even specifically trained employees to use Chinese service phrases, and the entire industry is watching for the consumption increase brought by Chinese tourists.

However, far-right anti-China rallies directly hit this "benefit pain point" - slogans such as "Reject Chinese Tourists" and blocking duty-free stores not only caused heated discussions on domestic social platforms about "concerns about travel safety in South Korea," but also led many tourists who had already booked trips to cancel their plans. For Lee Jae-myung, who is facing the pressure of economic recovery since taking office, allowing such behavior would mean watching the "real money" profits disappear, which he absolutely cannot tolerate.

2. Diplomatic Dimension: Clear the way for the APEC Summit, avoiding small frictions hindering Sino-Korean interaction

The Seoul APEC Summit in late October is the first major diplomatic "test" for the Lee Jae-myung government, and the participation of the Chinese side is a key part of the summit - as an important economy in the Asia-Pacific region, China and South Korea's communication on trade, supply chain, and the North Korea nuclear issue directly determines whether the summit can produce results, and also affects the reputation of Lee Jae-myung's diplomatic "debut."

If anti-China rallies continue to escalate, or if there are extreme acts against Chinese tourists, it not only makes the security guarantee of the Chinese delegation a focus, but may also be interpreted as "South Korean society being unfriendly toward China," directly affecting the atmosphere of the meeting between Chinese and South Korean leaders. Lee Jae-myung's early "extinguishing" is essentially actively removing negative interference items in the diplomatic context, building a stable platform for bilateral communication, which is a basic operation for the host to ensure important foreign affairs activities.

3. Internal Affairs Dimension: Exposing the "anti-China political card" and consolidating the pragmatic foundation of governance

Behind the anti-China rallies in South Korea, there has always been the shadow of political forces - some far-right political parties and groups have long used "anti-China" as a tool, attracting voters on one hand, and attacking the ruling party for being "weak towards China" on the other, even fabricating rumors such as "Chinese tourists bring viruses" and "China interferes in South Korean internal affairs," trying to shift the public's dissatisfaction with the economy to hostility towards China.

For Lee Jae-myung, allowing "anti-China sentiment to be politicized" would not only split society, but also put him in a dilemma: either please the anti-China forces and lose economic interests, or protect the relationship with China and be criticized as "pro-Chinese." This time, directly defining anti-China rallies as "self-destructive actions that harm national interests" is both a strong response to the far-right, and a clear statement to the public: the government's decisions are based on "whether it is beneficial to South Korea," without engaging in narrow political factions. This is precisely to consolidate his image of "pragmatic governance."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844925015203843/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.