ADRN

ROK-China relations have come a long way since ties were established in August 1992, particularly with bilateral trade which has increased approximately thirty-five times. Despite these achievements, underlying issues related to political and historical controversies have created mixed feelings among South Koreans toward China. In this Council on Foreign Relations Report, Chair of the EAI’s Center for China Studies Suk-Hee Han, examines the data from a cross-national public opinion survey conducted by EAI-Asia Research Institute to show how perceptions in South Korea have changed.

 

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In August 2012, South Korea (the Republic of Korea, or ROK) and China celebrated their twentieth anniversary of diplomatic normalization. During the past two decades, the two states have advanced their political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural relations with unprecedented speed and scope. This development has been driven by expanding bilateral economic cooperation and its resulting benefits. Trade between the two countries has increased approximately thirty-five times, from $6.37 billion in 1992 to $220.63 billion in 2011. Currently, China is South Korea's largest trading partner and South Korea is China's third largest. However, underneath the surface of this relationship is an increase in South Korea's negative perceptions of China.

 

A series of bilateral conflicts and entanglements has served to increase South Korean discontent with China. These include:

• tariff disputes arising from Chinese flooding of South Korean garlic markets in 2000

• China's controversial claim to the ancient Korean kingdom of Koguryo in 2004

• Chinese violence during the torch relay for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008

• the sinking of the Cheonan and the Yeonpyeong Island bombardment in 2010

• Chinese fishermen's illegal fishing and the murder of a Korean coast guard in 2011

• Chinese repatriation of North Korean defectors

• potential disputes over Socotra Rock in 2012

 

East Asia Institute-Asia Research Institute (EAI-ARI) polls reveal that in the context of these developments in bilateral relations, South Korea's public perceptions of China have been ambivalent. On the one hand, South Korea recognizes the growing importance of China for its future economic prosperity and potential unification with North Korea. Given that South Korea's lopsided economic dependency on China has intensified (a quarter of Korea's 2011 total exports went to China), and that Beijing has consolidated its political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural influence over Pyongyang, South Koreans clearly acknowledge the significance of building and maintaining positive relations with China...(Continued)

 

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