[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has begun his official diplomatic activities on the international stage by consecutively holding phone calls with the leaders of the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. This clearly reflects Yoon's diplomatic stance prioritizing the blood alliance with the United States, which contrasts with the period immediately following the election of former President Moon Jae-in.
According to the People Power Party on the 15th, Yoon began his diplomatic activities on the first day after his election was confirmed, the 10th, by holding a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden. The next day, on the 11th, he spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and later received a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming. On the 14th, he had a phone call with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, discussing the need for cooperation on North Korea's denuclearization.
Holding phone calls with major U.S. allies in the order of the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom within four days clearly reveals Yoon's diplomatic and security orientation to strengthen 'blood alliance diplomacy' centered on the Korea-U.S. alliance. In particular, it is expected that he will put more effort into cooperation with the international community, including the United States and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), for denuclearization in diplomacy with North Korea.
On the other hand, President Xi has not held a phone call other than sending a congratulatory message. Previously, in a TV debate last month as a presidential candidate, Yoon answered the priority order of meetings with neighboring country leaders as the United States, Japan, China, and North Korea.
Yoon's diplomatic activities starting without a phone call with the Chinese leader differentiate him from former President Moon five years ago. Moon, who began his term immediately without a transition period due to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, held a phone call with then-U.S. President Donald Trump on his first day.
While it was the same as previous presidents in having the first phone call with the U.S. president, Moon held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping the next day before speaking with then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Not only was the call with China before Japan notable, but it was also the first time a Chinese president made a congratulatory call to the President of the Republic of Korea, which became a major topic.
Especially considering that Korea-China relations rapidly cooled during former President Park's administration due to the installation of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), the call between President Xi and President Moon raised expectations for the normalization of Korea-China relations.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
