President Lee Jae Myung’s administration is attempting to play the role of peacemaker on the Korean peninsula, but it seems few are willing to listen. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit, Lee’s efforts were met with simultaneous rejection from North Korea and vocal opposition from protesters in his own capital.
As Lee hosted Xi for a crucial summit, his diplomatic agenda was under attack from all sides. His plea for Xi to help restart dialogue with North Korea was a central goal. However, Pyongyang quickly and publicly torpedoed the effort, scornfully dismissing it as a “pipe dream” and demonstrating its contempt for Seoul’s diplomacy.
On the home front, Lee’s government faced a different kind of challenge. Hundreds of protesters rallied in Seoul, chanting slogans against Chinese influence. This public display of anger highlighted the deep-seated skepticism among many South Koreans about the government’s close economic ties with Beijing, putting Lee in a difficult position as host.
The summit, which came just after a visit from U.S. President Trump, also forced Lee to confront the core friction between his nation’s two most important partners. He raised the sensitive THAAD missile system dispute, a legacy of the U.S. alliance that China views as a direct threat. He also addressed Chinese sanctions on a U.S.-linked company, wading directly into the U.S-China economic conflict.
While Lee juggled these intractable political issues, Chinese media focused on the tangible outcomes. They celebrated seven new economic agreements, including a currency swap, as a sign of a stable partnership. President Xi’s call for “mutual respect” suggested a desire for calm, but the reality for Seoul is anything but, as it remains caught between competing powers and a hostile northern neighbor.