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Taiwan warns ‘South Korea’ label may come next

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 00:00

President Lee Jae Myung, second from right, and first lady Kim Hea kyung, right, welcome Lin Hsin-i, senior advisor to Taiwan’s president, and his daughter Lin Wen-hsuan at the gala dinner reception of the 2025 APEC summit at Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 31, 2025. [YONHAP]

Taiwan has warned that it will change its designation for Korea in immigration documents to “Korea (South)” if Seoul does not respond by the March 31 to its protest over the labeling of Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in Korea’s electronic entry system. The move follows an earlier decision this month to rename Korea as “South Korea” on foreign resident certificates, signaling an expansion of retaliatory measures.

The dispute began in February of last year when Korea’s Ministry of Justice updated its system and categorized Taiwan under “CHINA (TAIWAN)” in the list of selectable countries. While handwritten entry forms had not posed issues in the past, the new digital system required users to select from predefined options, effectively placing Taiwan under China’s jurisdiction. This classification has drawn strong objections from Taipei, which sees it as a challenge to its identity.

Compared to practices in other countries, Taiwan may have felt particularly slighted. Although the United States, Japan and many European nations do not maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, they typically list “Taiwan” separately in immigration systems for practical reasons. Against this backdrop, Korea’s approach has been criticized as unnecessarily rigid. Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, pointed to past cooperation, noting that Taiwan had adjusted its own terminology at Seoul’s request, including adopting “Seoul” instead of “Hanseong” and “Republic of Korea” instead of “South Korea.”

Questions have also been raised about Korea’s response after the issue surfaced. Despite repeated requests from Taiwan for corrections, Seoul has effectively left the matter unresolved. As Taiwan escalated pressure by changing its terminology and issuing a deadline, it remains unclear how much effort Korean authorities have made to engage in meaningful dialogue or find a solution.

To be sure, Korea must consider its relationship with China. However, examples from other countries suggest that such labeling issues can be handled pragmatically without provoking diplomatic friction. The failure to manage the wording of an entry system has instead inflamed public sentiment in both places and raised concerns about the downgrading of Korea’s official designation.

The government should exercise diplomatic flexibility by respecting the “One China” principle while adjusting its system in a practical manner within Taiwan’s proposed time frame. Diplomacy is not a contest of pride but a means to maximize national interest. Forcing Korean travelers to be labeled as from “South Korea” rather than the Republic of Korea would be an unnecessary affront.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.