Did South Korea ‘pop champagne too early’ for US-China balancing act at Apec?

Seoul hails diplomatic milestones but analysts warn its economy and security posture may face renewed pressure from the two giants

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South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung (right) and China’s leader Xi Jinping shake hands ahead of the South Korea-China summit held at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongbuk Province on Saturday. Photo: Yonhap / AFP

Published: 4:26pm, 3 Nov 2025Updated: 4:35pm, 3 Nov 2025

South Korea’s bid to reboot ties with China and deepen trade links while strengthening its military alliance with the United States has stirred warnings of renewed pressure from both powers, with last week’s Apec summit underscoring the fragility of Seoul’s balancing act.

President Lee Jae-myung’s meetings with his Chinese and American counterparts, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, have been hailed as diplomatic wins.

However, analysts say Seoul could pay a steep price for trying to hedge between two rivals locked in strategic competition, with both South Korea’s export-driven economy and its long-term security posture at stake.

“I am afraid South Korea popped the champagne too early,” Choo Jae-woo, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Kyung Hee University, told This Week in Asia.

South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung presents gifts for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping after their meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday. Photo: The Presidential Office/Yonhap/via Reuters

Seoul hailed the first summit in 11 years between Lee and Xi as a milestone in mending ties.

“It helped fully restore our bilateral relations and put us back on the path of mutual prosperity as strategic cooperative partners,” Lee said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

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Did South Korea ‘pop champagne too early’ for US-China balancing act at Apec?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Seoul hails diplomatic milestones but analysts warn its economy and security posture may face renewed pressure from the two giants

Seoul hails diplomatic milestones but analysts warn its economy and security posture may face renewed pressure from the two giants