{"id":2199951,"date":"2023-01-25T08:39:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T08:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199951"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:10:17","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:10:17","slug":"why-south-koreans-are-unified-on-china-but-divided-over-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/01\/why-south-koreans-are-unified-on-china-but-divided-over-north-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Why South Koreans are unified on China but divided over North Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
It would be easy to assume that South Korea\u2019s relationships with China and North Korea are inextricably linked, not least because Beijing is Pyongyang\u2019s biggest backer. And South Koreans are in broad agreement that China and the DPRK pose significant security challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n But public opinion breaks down quite differently. South Koreans across the political spectrum feel mostly negatively about China, but there are fundamental divides between the left and right about how to handle North Korea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This political rift goes back to the Korean War, reflecting uncertainty in the ROK about the DPRK\u2019s place within Korean identity. And by understanding how this shapes South Koreans\u2019 divergent views toward China and North Korea, <\/span>alliance managers can better<\/span> calibrate expectations<\/span> and coordinate their policies.<\/span><\/p>\n BIPARTISAN CHINA POLICY<\/b><\/p>\n Recent political discourse about China might give the impression that there has been rising polarization in recent years. While he was running for president, President Yoon Suk-yeol repeatedly vowed to take a tougher stance on China and criticized his predecessor\u2019s policies as \u201c<\/span>pro-China<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Conservatives have accused Moon Jae-in and other progressives of submitting to Beijing since the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system <\/span>controversy<\/span><\/a> in 2016 and 2017. Shortly before Moon was elected president, the now-defunct Liberty Korea Party, the People Power Party\u2019s (PPP) predecessor, <\/span>argued<\/span><\/a> that the Democratic Party was taking a \u201cpathetic\u201d and \u201creckless\u201d stance by arguing that the missile defense system should be stopped for fear of Chinese retaliation.<\/span><\/p>\n Yet beyond the rhetoric, conservatives and progressives broadly agree that they must resist Chinese bullying and that South Korea should \u2014 without provoking China \u2014 strengthen its alliance with the U.S.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Polls show that South Korean views of China have deteriorated sharply since 2017, to the extent that many South Koreans now view China <\/span>less<\/span><\/a> favorably<\/span><\/a> than Japan. This shift occurred across the political spectrum, even as conservatives remain <\/span>slightly more<\/span><\/a> distrustful of China than progressives.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite criticism from the right, the Moon administration condemned Beijing\u2019s unofficial sanctions campaign and ultimately supported THAAD deployment. And although Yoon has portrayed his pursuit of a closer relationship with the U.S. as a change from the past, his efforts build on steps <\/span>Moon took<\/span><\/a> to strengthen the alliance throughout 2020 and 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n That South Korea\u2019s two main political camps have broadly similar China policies is, to some extent, unsurprising. One of the <\/span>most widely accepted theories<\/span><\/a> in international relations is that foreign threats produce domestic unity.<\/span><\/p>\n