Chinese Media and Experts: "Korea-China Relations Expected to Shift from Irrational Extremes to Greater Balance"

Chinese Media and Experts Focus on President Lee's Election
Highlighting His Journey "From Factory Boy to President"

Chinese media outlets have focused on whether the election of President Lee Jae Myung could lead to an improvement in Korea-China relations.

On June 4, the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, Global Times, published interviews with Dong Xiangrong, a researcher at the Institute of Global Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Zhan Debin, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.

President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung are attending the 21st Presidential Inauguration Oath Ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 4th.

Researcher Dong stated, "The new administration must quickly stabilize and reorganize South Korea, which has fallen into chaos, and make a fresh start," adding, "Restoring economic growth should be the top priority."

He particularly noted that President Lee's attitude toward China is objective, saying, "He has a relatively deep prior understanding." He continued, "Unlike the previous administration, which focused on 'values-based diplomacy,' the new government is likely to reexamine economic relations with China and place greater importance on the Chinese market in order to contribute to Korea's economic development."

Dong emphasized that China and South Korea should interact based on their strategic partnership. He said, "The previous administration's attitude toward China was irrational and undermined trust," and added, "It is expected that the new administration will take a more rational approach to restore and improve Korea-China relations after taking office."

Director Zhan stated, "South Korea's foreign policy will shift from its current extreme stance to a relatively more balanced position," adding, "This will provide a relatively favorable opportunity for Korea-China relations." He further noted, "With the inauguration of the new administration, Korea-China relations are expected to recover to a better state."

Newtanqin, a social media account operated by China's Xinhua News Agency, commented that compared to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, President Lee is much more level-headed on China-related issues. "During the previous administration, Korea-China relations hit their lowest point, so even if relations worsen under the new government, they cannot become worse than before," the account wrote. It also stated, "He has said that it is necessary to pursue pragmatic diplomacy and foster friendly relations with all countries, whether China, Japan, Russia, or the United States." It added, "China is an important trade partner for Korea and a country that influences security on the Korean Peninsula, so the new administration will manage Korea-China relations in a stable manner." The post concluded, "South Korea is no longer simply 'pro-America and flattering to Japan.'"

Chinese media also highlighted President Lee's "self-made story," focusing on his rise from a poor factory worker to a lawyer and politician.

Meanwhile, on this day, keywords such as "President Lee Jae Myung elected" and "Will Korea-China relations progress?" became trending topics on Baidu, China's largest search engine. As of the morning, the hashtag about President Lee's election ranked as the number one trending search term on Chinese social media platform Weibo.