November 2020
A
s Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific increases, U.S. allies and partners,
such as Australia, India, and Japan, are adapting their strategic posture
to develop stronger intra-Asian security partnerships and try to maintain
independence from Chinese influence.
1
However, even as a key U.S. ally,
South Korea seems different; as observed in a 2008 RAND report, “By geography
alone, sensitivity toward Chinese interests will remain a characteristic of South
Korean policies.”
2
How are Beijing’s growing influence and assertiveness in regional
affairs affecting relations between South Korea and China? What effect do they
have on U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific? This Perspective focuses on South Korea’s
evolving relations with China to explore whether China is emerging as a viable
strategic alternative to the United States for South Korea, especially amid persistent
concerns about Washington’s commitment to alliance relationships.
The Perspective explores the conditions under which South Korea and China
have sought to deepen their strategic ties, from the aftermath of the Korean
War and the Cold War era to today. These past attempts have been fraught with
JI-YOUNG LEE
The Geopolitics of
South Korea–China Relations
Implications for U.S. Policy in the Indo-Pacific
C O R P O R A T I O N
Perspective
EXPERT INSIGHTS ON A TIMELY POLICY ISSUE
