A Summit of Contradictions: Seoul’s Economic Gains, Political Pains

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Seoul was a summit of sharp contradictions, delivering tangible economic gains for South Korea but also highlighting its profound political and security pains. President Lee Jae Myung secured new deals but failed to make headway on North Korea or quell domestic discontent.
The “win” for the Lee administration was purely economic. Chinese state media, in a narrative of mutual success, highlighted the signing of seven new economic agreements. This included a currency swap, a move designed to stabilize financial markets and reinforce the deep trade ties between the two nations.
However, this economic success was set against a backdrop of political failure and public anger. On the streets, hundreds of protesters rallied against Chinese influence, creating an embarrassing and tense atmosphere. This public dissent showed the limits of Lee’s ability to sell his China-friendly policies to a skeptical populace.
The most significant “pain” was the immediate and public failure of Lee’s North Korea policy. His flagship request at the summit—for Xi to help restart dialogue with Pyongyang—was met with utter contempt from the North. Pyongyang’s dismissal of the plan as a “pipe dream” was a humiliating public setback.
The summit also forced Lee to confront the U.S.-China rivalry, following a recent visit from U.S. President Trump. Lee had to raise sensitive U.S.-allied issues, like the 2017 THAAD missile system, making his talks with Xi a complex negotiation of competing loyalties. Xi’s call for “mutual respect” was a quiet insistence that Seoul prioritize Beijing’s concerns.