Lee Jae-myung’s China pivot could reshape South Korea’s trade and security



Analysis Lee Jae-myung’s China pivot could reshape South Korea’s trade and security Facing US tariffs and China’s export controls, Lee must navigate economic pragmatism without jeopardizing alliance John LeeFebruary 7, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Jan. 30, 2025 and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on May 16, 2024 \| Image: Democratic Party of Korea and Russian Presidential Executive Office. Edited by Korea Pro. China’s new export controls on tungsten, molybdenum and other key materials have raised alarms in South Korea’s semiconductor and defense industries. At the same time, the U.S. is expanding its semiconductor export controls and imposing tariffs on allies, signaling an increasingly protectionist trade policy. South Korea finds itself caught between two economic superpowers, and its next president will determine its geopolitical and economic trajectory. Lee Jae-myung, the current frontrunner in South Korea’s likely presidential race, is expected to take a different approach from his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol. Whereas Yoon aligned South Korea closely with Washington on security and trade, © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump 02Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls 03North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy 04South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus 05AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline 06South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics 07Preschool test ban forces South Korea’s English hagwons to rethink placement 08Lee Jae Myung’s Wall Street pitch tests South Korea’s capital market credibility

Analysis

Lee Jae-myung’s China pivot could reshape South Korea’s trade and security

Facing US tariffs and China’s export controls, Lee must navigate economic pragmatism without jeopardizing alliance

John LeeFebruary 7, 2025

Lee Jae-myung’s China pivot could reshape South Korea’s trade and security

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on Jan. 30, 2025 and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on May 16, 2024 | Image: Democratic Party of Korea and Russian Presidential Executive Office. Edited by Korea Pro.

China’s new export controls on tungsten, molybdenum and other key materials have raised alarms in South Korea’s semiconductor and defense industries. At the same time, the U.S. is expanding its semiconductor export controls and imposing tariffs on allies, signaling an increasingly protectionist trade policy.

South Korea finds itself caught between two economic superpowers, and its next president will determine its geopolitical and economic trajectory.

Lee Jae-myung, the current frontrunner in South Korea’s likely presidential race, is expected to take a different approach from his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol. Whereas Yoon aligned South Korea closely with Washington on security and trade,

Lee Jae-myung’s China pivot could reshape South Korea’s trade and security

LATEST ANALYSIS

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John Lee