"Yoon Seok-yeol Government, Accused of Sleepwalking" Harshly Criticized by Chinese Media

Global Times in China likens South Korea's diplomatic policy to 'sleepwalking'
Claims it aims to curb the full-scale cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan

China's state-run media harshly criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol's March 1st Independence Movement Day speech, calling it an "unprecedented flattery" and "sleepwalking."

China's state-run Global Times wrote that President Yoon's mention of Japan as a 'partner' in his March 1st speech faced backlash from public opinion within South Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The newspaper stated, "President Yoon said that trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome North Korea's nuclear threat and various global crises," adding, "It is unprecedented for a South Korean president to make such flattering remarks toward Japan."

It also wrote, "According to analysts, this speech shows that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is in a state of sleepwalking under a hypnotic spell in its foreign policy," and "Chinese experts warned that South Korea should avoid sleepwalking in its foreign policy and not become a pawn of the United States."

The newspaper continued, "South Korea has previously focused on maintaining a balance between China and the United States, and that strategy has brought many benefits," noting that trade volume between the two countries has increased dramatically over the 30 years since establishing diplomatic relations.

Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times known for his hardline foreign policy stance, posted on China's social media WeChat channel on the 2nd, saying, "South Korea should not make its security the insole of the U.S. military boot," and criticized, "If South Korea embraces only the United States and disregards others, its security will become like an item hanging from the U.S. waistband, or even the insole inside the U.S. military boot, completely losing its autonomy."

The harsh Chinese reaction is also interpreted as an attempt to check the full-scale trilateral alliance among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it does not feel the need to respond to each criticism individually.