S. Korea moves closer to US, distances itself from China, Russia during Yoon-Biden summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol, first lady Kim Keon Hee, U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. first lady Jill Biden stand on the Blue Room balcony during a state arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (local time). Yonhap

China strongly responds to ROK-US joint statement mention Taiwan Strait

By Nam Hyun-woo

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― During the summit between Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and Joe Biden, Wednesday (local time), South Korea showed the international community that it is aligning ever more closely with the U.S. stance in its relations with China and Russia, announcing statements containing clauses that may ruffle the feathers of the two neighboring countries.

In a small group meeting with Biden, Yoon said that he is against attempts to change the status quo by force, and that South Korea and the United States can take on these challenges together.

"Attempts to alter status quo by force, supply chain fragmentations and disruptions and challenges in food and energy security are threatening global peace and stability," Yoon said. "As a value alliance, we can together play a critical role in navigating through all these challenges."

Changing the status quo by force, in this context, refers to using violent or coercive means to alter the existing political, social or economic order, but is often used regarding the U.S. concerns about Chinese claims on the Taiwan Strait.

Similar stances were also clearly visible in the leaders' joint statement released after the summit.

In the statement, the two presidents "reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region."

It added, "They strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed features and coercive activities."

In the lead-up to the summit, Yoon had been making bold comments regarding the Taiwan Strait issue, in what appeared to be a part of his diplomatic principle of Korea being a "global pivotal state," which means that the country will play a leading role in and be more vocal about global issues.

During an interview with NBC before the summit, Yoon also stressed that the world's peace and stability are challenged by "attempts to change the status quo by force," and made similar comments in an interview with Reuters last week, referring directly to the Taiwan Strait.

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After the Reuters interview, China was furious, denouncing Yoon's comments as "absurd rhetoric" and that "those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned." The two countries' governments lodged official complaints with each other's ambassadors.

Yoon also put all his chips on Washington regarding the handling of Seoul's relations with Moscow during the summit.

Biden said he and Yoon together "shared a firm commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine against Russia's brutal assault on their freedom, or territorial integrity and democracy," and that "the Republic of Korea's strong support for Ukraine is important because Russia's flagrant violation of international law matters to nations everywhere in the world."

In response to the joint statement referring to the Taiwan Strait, China warned, Thursday, that South Korea and the U.S. should clearly recognize the reality of the Taiwan issue and respect the one-China policy, urging them to be careful in their words and actions on the issue, according to media reports.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was quoted as saying in a press briefing that Seoul and Washington should not stray further down the wrong and dangerous path.

Yoon also said, "We reaffirmed that the use of force to take the lives of innocent people, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, can under no circumstances be justified." He added that they agreed to continue cooperation efforts alongside the international community to support Ukraine.

In the joint statement, Yoon and Biden also "condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia's actions against civilians and critical infrastructure."

The relations between Seoul and Moscow have chilled following Yoon's remarks in the recent Reuters interview, where he stated that Seoul may provide military aid to Ukraine, if there is a situation that the international community cannot condone ― such as a large-scale attack on civilians. It was a major shift from Seoul's initial stance of limiting its Ukraine support to just humanitarian aid.

In response, Russia threatened to provide its military support to North Korea, while South Korea countered, saying that Moscow should take a closer look at the interview.

Though the presidents did not disclose whether there were talks on Korea providing military aid to Ukraine, they clearly showed that Seoul is siding with the U.S. in regard to the Ukraine war.

U.S. President Joe Biden applauds South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after the latter's speech during the state arrival ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (local time). Yonhap

As Yoon moves closer toward South Korea's democratic allies, at the same time, concerns are growing that this may upset the security dynamics in Northeast Asia, in which Seoul shares key interests with both Beijing and Moscow.

While becoming ever more resolute toward China and Russia, South Korea's trilateral relations with the U.S. and Japan are improving fast, as Washington desires.

During a small group meeting, Biden acknowledged Yoon's efforts to mend South Korea's ties with Japan, saying Yoon's "courageous principled diplomacy with Japan" will enhance the trilateral partnership between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, and it will bring "an enormous" impact. He made similar comments during the joint press conference after the summit.