South Korea and China have designated each other as their first summit counterparts of 2026. Media outlets in both countries have interpreted the meeting as a foregone conclusion that the decade-long chill in bilateral relations is nearing its end.
Amid escalating tensions between China and Japan, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded positively to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s invitation for a state visit, stating, “Let us seek common ground while setting aside differences (求同存異).”
For the South Korean government, bringing a 200-member economic delegation to Beijing was important, but equally significant was South Korea’s effort to seek China’s support in mediating peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Ultimately, during their meeting in Beijing on January 5, the two leaders shared concerns over the grave situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to explore “new diplomatic approaches.”
Although the specific details of these solutions have yet to be disclosed, the meeting marked the establishment of a basic level of trust between China and South Korea on how to address stalled inter-Korean relations.
Since taking office in June 2025, the South Korean government has consistently emphasized the importance of building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. One of its three core foreign and security strategies is “a Korean Peninsula of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity.”
However, the current environment for pursuing this vision remains challenging. Recently, military tensions have risen due to disputes over drone intrusions in border areas. Nevertheless, the South Korean government has continued efforts to reduce military tensions along the border and resume inter-Korean communication.
These efforts include proactive measures and proposals such as: (1) the removal of loudspeakers used for anti-North Korea propaganda, (2) a ban on the distribution of propaganda leaflets, (3) the easing of reporting requirements for South Koreans contacting North Koreans, (4) proposals for humanitarian exchanges such as reunions of separated families, and (5) expanding public access to North Korean media, including the Rodong Sinmun.
The South Korean government pursues a pragmatic, national interest–based foreign policy. Moving forward, this approach seeks to improve Korea–China relations toward eventual reconciliation while managing alliance expectations with the United States through various channels.
This pragmatic approach also applies to North Korea. In Beijing, based on the realistic assessment that “it is currently impossible for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons,” Lee explained a three-stage framework consisting of “freezing,” “reduction,” and eventually “denuclearization” to Xi.
Furthermore, he proposed economic cooperation projects such as the “Seoul-Pyongyang-Beijing High-Speed Railway,” “Inter-Korean healthcare cooperation,” and the “Wonsan-Kalma Peace Tourism Zone.”
In response, Xi emphasized the need for “patience,” which also signaled acknowledgment that long-term cooperative tasks remain between South Korea and China regarding the Korean Peninsula issue.
The international environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula has fundamentally shifted. As US-China strategic competition becomes increasingly entrenched, US foreign strategy increasingly demands direct costs and choices from its allies.
This reveals the structural limits of South Korea’s traditional balancing act—relying on the US for security and China for the economy (安美經中). These changes foreshadow an international order defined by power and volatility.
Disruption is easy, but restoration takes time. While the restoration of Korea–China relations—strained over the past decade—has taken its first step, considerable time and sustained effort will be required before true progress toward peace on the Korean Peninsula can be realized.
South Korea’s request for China’s mediation and management role in Korean Peninsula affairs goes beyond diplomatic rhetoric; it is a matter directly linked to the security and livelihoods of 80 million people on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the stability of Northeast Asia as a whole.
The recent momentum toward stabilizing Korea–China relations through summit diplomacy has once again highlighted the strategic value of bilateral ties between two neighboring countries.
Going further, Korea and China will go beyond being mere neighbors to become partners as close as fish and water (水魚之交), working together for peace and prosperity. China has long maintained that stability and peace in Northeast Asia align with its core national interests.
At a time when Russia has shown a relatively passive stance on discussions related to the Korean Peninsula, China’s peaceful engagement on the issue presents an opportunity to expand its diplomatic influence as a key neighboring power, while simultaneously advancing economic cooperation strategies with major regional countries.
Therefore, the US–China summit scheduled for April is of great importance. If China can serve as a bridge for the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, it could accelerate the realization of China’s vision for an “open and inclusive Asia-Pacific.”
Establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula and laying the foundation for economic cooperation could prove to be a key opportunity for neighboring countries seeking new forms of global collaboration.
Ki-ho Han, Ph.D., is a research professor at the Ajou Institute of Unification Studies and a columnist on Korean Peninsula affairs. A former senior official at South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, he specializes in inter-Korean relations, peacebuilding, and middle-power diplomacy amid intensifying great-power competition in Northeast Asia.