Say ‘xie xie’ and forget Taiwan? South Korea’s Yoon taps public resentment to snub calls for better Beijing ties

Analysts say Yoon’s position aligns with the “resentment against China” felt by much of the Korean public, with polls suggesting seven out of 10 South Koreans have an unfavourable view of the country.

But top opposition leader Lee Jae-myung’s remarks still stirred controversy last week.

Lee, currently on the campaign trail ahead of pivotal April 10 parliamentary elections, on Friday accused Yoon of jeopardising trade relations with China through unnecessary provocations, spurring the ruling conservative People Power Party to attack the head of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea for his “submissive” attitude towards China.

But this has changed in recent years, with the trade surplus shrinking to US$1.2 billion in 2022. Last year, South Korea registered a trade deficit, of US$18 billion, with China for the first time in decades – a drop mainly attributed to slow chip exports and Chinese products gaining a competitive edge.

Lee, elsewhere on the campaign trail earlier this month, emphasised how Yoon’s government had contributed to the trade deficit by unnecessarily “antagonising” China since coming to power in May 2022.

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s ruling party, said on Saturday that Lee’s comments underscored the liberal opposition’s perceived acquiescence towards China.

“Acting like a bystander on the issue of Taiwan Strait is contradicting our national interests at a time when the world is being divided into different blocs”, Han said.

Analysts say it would be difficult to insulate the Korean peninsula from a war over Taiwan as US troops stationed in the South would be under pressure to intervene and the North would be tempted to create troubles along the border.

Troubles in the Taiwan Strait would also have a