Critics ask if Yoon is on ‘friend or foe’ diplomatic mission
President heads for Biden meeting after causing storm with comments on Taiwan and Ukraine
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol flew to Washington yesterday for a six-day state visit as critics ask whether he is embracing a “friend or foe” approach in diplomacy despite the country’s need for a delicate balancing act among competing powers.
Seoul is seeking stronger US commitment for protection against growing nuclear threats by the North, while the US expects South Korea to play a greater role in restraining China and Russia.
The allies are also looking to bolster economic security in semiconductors and batteries, with Seoul seeking concessions in implementation of the US Inflation Reduction Act and Chips and Science Act aimed at enhancing investments in the US and curbing global trade and technology ties with China.
“The key question is how the United States could give South Korea a firm commitment to offering an extended deterrence, as 70 per cent of Koreans are in favour of arming their country with nuclear weapons,” said political-science professor Park Wongon, referring to the mobilisation of US full military capabilities including nuclear weapons to deter the North.
Analyst Victor Cha at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies expects “deliverables on extended deterrence and economic security, the two most important issues” from Yoon’s summit with President Joe Biden.
Seoul last month said it had removed a long “obstacle” to improving ties with Japan by announcing a plan to compensate Korean victims of Japan’s colonial-era forced labour from a Seoulbased fund. The move won praise in Washington but sparked a public backlash against the presumed “submissiveness” towards Japan as Yoon’s already-low approval ratings sank further.
A Realmeter poll last week put the president’s approval rating at 32.6 per cent against a 64.7 disapproval rating, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous week.
Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow at the Washingtonbased Heritage Foundation, said Seoul’s move concerning Japan placed the US and its allies in a better position to tackle challenges posed by countries such as North Korea and China.
“Yoon has clearly aligned South Korea with the United States and other like-minded democracies in opposing China’s coercive tactics to intimidate Asian nations. Strong alliances are in the strategic interests of the United States, augmenting the nation’s military, intelligence, and diplomatic capabilities,” Klingner was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
“The US should use Yoon’s visit to underscore the strength of the bilateral relationship that’s based on shared values, principles, and objectives. Doing so would both reassure America’s allies and deter its adversaries.”
But the two main themes of his visit to Washington – security and economic cooperation – have been overshadowed by Yoon’s remarks that were seen as signalling changes to Seoul’s policies on the war in Ukraine and Taiwan.
China and South Korea exchanged harsh words over Yoon’s remarks in a recent interview concerning tension in the Taiwan Strait, for which he put the blame on “an attempt to change the status quo by force”, although he did not refer to China by name.
He also compared the Taiwan issue with that of North Korea and South Korea, defining the Taiwan question as a global issue, sparking angry reactions from Beijing.
Yoon has clearly aligned … with the United States in opposing China’s coercive tactics
BRUCE KLINGNER, HERITAGE FOUNDATION
Yoon also said that Seoul would consider sending lethal weapons to Kyiv in the event of a major new attack against civilians in Ukraine, upsetting Moscow.
Yang Moo-jin, professor of political science at the University of North Korean Studies, said Seoul’s traditional stance was that it was important to preserve stability in the Taiwan Strait and settle tensions through dialogue.
When they met in Seoul last May, Yoon and Biden reiterated “the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an essential element in security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”.
“By saying we are opposed to any attempt to change the status quo by force, Yoon is using an American mantra, giving rise to a suspicion that Seoul might be shifting away from its traditional stance to come closer to the US side,” Yang said.
“South Korea should keep some flexibility in diplomacy as it needs cooperation from China and Russia as well to deal with the North on the basis of its alliance with the United States.”