A high-stakes summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping navigated a minefield of contentious issues, including sanctions, missile defense, and the North Korean stalemate, all while anti-China protests unfolded in Seoul.
President Lee used the meeting to raise several key concerns. He discussed Chinese sanctions on units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean and the long-standing restrictions on South Korean entertainment, which were imposed after Seoul’s 2017 deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system.
On the security front, Lee urged Xi to help resume dialogue with North Korea based on a phased denuclearisation plan. South Korea’s defence minister also met his Chinese counterpart separately, raising the issue of Chinese military activity in Korea’s Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ).
While Xi’s government expressed willingness to cooperate for peace, Chinese state media focused on economic agreements, including a currency swap and MOUs on online crime and aging populations. Xi called for respecting “core interests” and handling “differences through friendly consultation.”
The diplomacy was set against a backdrop of public anger, with hundreds protesting Xi’s visit. Simultaneously, North Korea rejected Lee’s diplomatic outreach, calling his denuclearisation plan a “pipe dream” and vowing never to talk to the South.