Page 168 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

security implications. Since Yoon Suk-Yeol was sworn in as
South Korea’s new president in May 2022, South Korean
foreign policy has focused on reinforcing and strengthening
the U.S.-Korea alliance, improving relations with Japan,
and deepening trilateral security cooperation among South
Korea, the United States, and Japan. However, the Yoon
government’s efforts, amid an ever-intensifying U.S.-China
strategic competition, have posed a conundrum for South
Korea-China relations across various domains.

Today, the relationship between Seoul and Beijing continues
to remain tense. The unresolved issue over the deployment of
the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile
system on South Korean soil in July 2016 continues to be a
drag on the bilateral relationship, and tensions increased in
2023 in the wake of President Yoon’s remarks on Taiwan in
1
an exclusive interview with Reuters in April and the “betting
against China” remarks made by the Chinese Ambassador to
Seoul Xing Haiming in June of 2023. President Yoon said,
“After all, these tensions occurred because of the attempts
to change the status quo by force, and we together with the
international community absolutely oppose such a change.”
Yoon also said, “The Taiwan issue is not simply an issue
between China and Taiwan but, like the issue of North Korea,
it is a global issue." 2

1 Soyoung Kim, Ju-min Park, and Hyonhee Shin. “Exclusive: South Korea’s Yoon opens door for possible
military aid to Ukraine” Reuters (April 19, 2023).
2 “Chinese ambassador warns against betting against China” Yonhap News Agency (June 08, 2023); Kim Tong-
hyung. “South Korea summons China’s envoy over comments accusing Seoul of tilting excessively toward
US” AP (June 9, 2023).

168 Section III : South Korea-Japan-U.S. Cooperation: How to Deter Pyongyang and Dissuade Beijing