East Asia “In-depth coverage notes” (No. 149)
Go to gallery page
Is South Korea’s Yun Sung-yeol administration diplomatically okay?
It has only been three months since the spectacular inauguration of the government on May 10. However, the approval rating announced by the Korean research company Realmeter on August 8 was 29.3%, falling below the 30% line, which is said to be a red flag, for the first time. The disapproval rate is 67.8%, and there is no shadow to be seen.
On the 9th, Lee Jun-seok (37 years old), the leader of the ruling party “People’s Power”, who was popular among young people, was dismissed. The reason for this is the “small old wound” that Lee was sexually entertained by some company nine years ago.
In addition, Seoul was hit by the heaviest rain in 115 years this week. Eight people died, more than 400 places were flooded, and the capital’s functions were completely paralyzed. President Yoon inspected the “semi-underground” where the poorest people who suffered the most damage lived, but the citizens raised their voices. The heavy rain is not President Yoon’s fault, but it’s a weakness and a curse.
President Yoon Seo-yeol inspects a “semi-underground” house in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, which was flooded by heavy rain on August 9. (Photo: YONHAP NEWS/Aflo)
Go to gallery page
Furthermore, what I would like to ask this time is whether the Yoon Seol-yue administration is okay “diplomatically”. This is because we are facing a severe split between the two great powers of the United States and China.
Economic dependence on China continues to grow
Three months ago, at the inauguration ceremony held at Yeouido Square in Seoul, President Yoon uttered the word “freedom” 35 times in a speech that lasted only 12 minutes. Aware that his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, was biased toward North Korea and China, he made it clear that he would work with the “liberal democratic camp” of the United States and Japan. .
However, the Vice President of China, Wang Qishan, was present there. After handing a personal letter from President Xi Jinping to new President Yun Seoyue, Vice President Wang conveyed the words of President Xi, saying, “I hope you will visit China as soon as possible.”
What it meant was “I’ll be waiting for you in Beijing on August 24th.” This day marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea.