[Square] The Complex Equation of 'Hanmi' and 'Hanjung Relations'

President Biden will embark on his first Asia tour since taking office and will visit Korea on the 20th. On the 10th, China sent Wang Qishan, Vice President of the State Council, as President Xi Jinping's special envoy to Korea for President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration ceremony. The Korean Peninsula is once again emerging as a focal point in the news.

The new Korean government's diplomatic strategy can be summarized as 'values' and 'pragmatism.' Based on 'values,' it seeks to promote a 'comprehensive strategic alliance' with the United States, and based on 'pragmatism,' it aims to strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership with China. Regarding Korea's survival strategy, the new government is prioritizing the overall strengthening of the 'alliance theory.' The result is the emergence of a 'comprehensive strategic alliance' with the United States.

Here, the term 'comprehensive' does not mean strengthening the Korea-US alliance only in peripheral areas. It means going a step further from the existing alliance areas to expand the shared 'values' and 'interests' with the United States across all domains, transforming it into a comprehensive 'value alliance' on a full-spectrum level.

However, the new government's strategic direction inevitably affects the relationship with China during the implementation process. This is because the changes in US global leadership and China's relative rise are realities. Some label this as a US-China strategic competition and even describe it as the advent of a 'new Cold War.'

The Korea-US summit last May was a turning point. At that time, we shared perceptions with the United States in many areas, providing the foundation for the evolution of Korea-US relations into a 'comprehensive strategic alliance.'

China, too, since the Korea-US summit last May, has begun to recognize Korea's status and role not only in bilateral relations but also as a partner requiring communication and cooperation to address issues at bilateral, regional, and global levels.

With President Biden's visit to Korea and the Korea-US summit, Korea's international status is bound to be further elevated. However, instead of merely contributing to enhancing our status, the United States will present many demands. In particular, it will emphasize the 'value alliance' of the 'comprehensive strategic alliance' that corresponds to Korea's elevated status and demand Korea's role as an ally. The US will also require Korea's participation in the US-led pressure on China. Through the Korea-US summit, the US will actively seek Korea's cooperation on issues such as North Korea, economic security, and international affairs. Our government has already presented a two-track strategic direction pursuing both 'values' and 'pragmatism' based on the 'value alliance.'

Rolling the two wheels of 'values' and 'pragmatism' together to maintain balance without falling and securing a stable strategic space is our survival strategy. For this survival strategy to succeed, whether we like it or not, it is necessary to set our position and principles toward China more clearly. The US also knows that complete decoupling from China is practically impossible. This is true for us as well.

Balancing Korea's survival strategy of strengthening 'self-reliance theory' based on the 'alliance theory' and building a 'pragmatic' cooperative relationship with China is, however, a complex and difficult equation to solve. This Korea-US summit is both a testing ground for our survival strategy that captures the two rabbits of 'values' and 'pragmatism' and a new test for how to set relations with China. The new government's solving of the complex equation of Korea-US and Korea-China relations is just beginning.

Yang Gap-yong, Senior Research Fellow, National Security Strategy Institute