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Foreign Minister committed to trilateral cooperation amid regional challenges posed by China

Published: 04 Aug. 2025, 16:34 Updated: 04 Aug. 2025, 17:33

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun answers questions from reporters at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on Aug. 3, after concluding foreign ministerial talks with Japan and the United States. [YONHAP]

Facing growing pressure to take sides in an increasingly polarized world, Korea is drawing closer to its longtime allies in Washington and Tokyo — while trying not to slam the door on Beijing.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun recently expressed growing concerns over China’s expanding regional influence while reaffirming Seoul’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the United States and Japan. His remarks, made ahead of this month’s Korea–U.S. summit, suggest that the Lee Jae Myung administration will continue to emphasize trilateral coordination in its approach to Beijing.

In an interview published Sunday by The Washington Post, Cho described China’s behavior in East Asia as increasingly difficult to ignore.

“In Northeast Asia, we have another problem of China becoming somewhat problematic with its neighbors," he said. "We have seen what China has been doing in the South China Sea and in the Yellow Sea. Economically, yes, China has developed so well, so fast, that it has become a competitor."

Cho said that Seoul had "become rather alert to China’s rise and its challenges," but emphasized the importance of avoiding confrontation and maintaining stability.

"We will try to send a message to China: 'We want to maintain a good relationship, and [see] you abide by international law in not only bilateral, but in regional affairs,'" he said.

The minister's remarks were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to China’s recent construction of maritime structures in the Provisional Measures Zone in the Yellow Sea, an area where territorial boundaries between Korea and China remain unresolved.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun holds a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on July 28. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

At the same time, Cho underlined Seoul’s intention to strengthen ties with Tokyo, citing his recent meetings in Japan with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya en route to the United States.

“We will [...] cooperate with Japan as well,” he said, adding that they "talked about the new challenges we are facing in the region."

While emphasizing deterrence and trilateral security, Cho also acknowledged the limits of isolating China.

"At the same time, I noted the need for engaging China, because simply trying to block China will not be as effective as we want," he said.

His comments reflect Seoul’s geopolitical dilemma. The U.S. alliance forms the cornerstone of Korea’s foreign policy, but China remains its largest trading partner.

But some analysts argue that the idea of simultaneously deterring China through security cooperation with the United States and Japan while also seeking engagement with Beijing may prove unrealistic, given the increasingly polarized global landscape.

A similar strategy was attempted under former President Park Geun-hye, who sought to deepen relations with China while maintaining security ties with the United States. Park even attended China’s 2015 military parade commemorating the end of World War II.

But the result, critics said, was that Seoul gained little diplomatic leverage while being viewed as the “weak link” in the U.S.–Japan–Korea security triangle.

Efforts to enlist China’s support in curbing North Korea’s nuclear program also failed to yield substantial progress. Analysts say the current geopolitical environment — defined by sharper bloc confrontation and heightened strategic competition between the United States and China — makes it even more difficult to pursue a balanced diplomatic path.

The Korean and U.S. flags are displayed side by side during a rotational brigade transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on the morning of June 18. [YONHAP]

On the presence of U.S. troops in South Korea, Cho said he had no concerns about a possible reduction in forces.

"We are talking with the United States, but there is no concern about U.S. forces in Korea," he said. "We believe that they will remain as such and their role will remain as of today."

When asked whether a drawdown in troops might damage bilateral ties, Cho dismissed the notion.

"I don’t think it will happen," he said. "I have met a number of senators this time, and they all have assured me that it will not be the case."

His comments appeared aimed at tamping down speculation that followed remarks by a senior government official at a South Korea–U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting last month. At the time, the official said that the U.S. military’s “role and character” could change due to various factors — prompting speculation of a policy shift.

Cho later said upon returning to Seoul that the issue had not been “deeply discussed.”

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, left, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington on Aug. 1. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The interview also touched on several sensitive issues. Asked whether he believed U.S. President Donald Trump had “bullied and blindsided” South Korea during past tariff negotiations, Cho said: “Korea was not singled out to rebalance the trade imbalance.”

"We know that the U.S. government, Trump, wanted to reduce the trade imbalance, and we came up with this idea of a win-win proposal," he added.

Asked whether South Korea would consider recognizing Palestine as a state — a move that some Group of 7 countries have recently endorsed — Cho avoided a direct answer.

“It’s difficult to say,” he said. “We are now absorbed in ourselves.”

He added, “We will certainly look at the developments in the region and also at the United Nations. But again, we feel that we are vulnerable in the changing situation in Northeast Asia."

"Frankly speaking, we do not have the luxury of looking at things that have been happening in other regions of the world."

Britain, France and Canada have either recognized Palestine or declared their intent to do so. The White House said U.S. President Trump did not agree with the move and had “expressed his displeasure."

While Cho’s remarks aimed to strike a careful diplomatic balance, some observers noted that as a former ambassador to the United Nations and a representative of a country currently serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, his response might have benefited from deeper engagement.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]