Seoul’s Diplomatic Jam: North Korea Says No, Protesters Yell No

President Lee Jae Myung’s government is in a diplomatic jam, finding itself trapped between a public that is yelling “no” to Chinese influence and a hostile North Korea that is saying “no” to dialogue. This was the stark reality during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit.
The “no” from the public was on full display in the streets of Seoul. Hundreds of protesters rallied against Xi’s visit, demonstrating a deep-seated public anxiety about China’s growing power. This put President Lee, who has tried to manage such dissent, in an extremely awkward position as host.
The “no” from North Korea was even more damaging. Lee’s main diplomatic initiative for the summit was to ask Xi to help restart talks with Pyongyang. This plan was immediately and publicly torpedoed by North Korea, which issued a statement calling the effort a “pipe dream,” effectively ending the initiative.
Stuck between these two rejections, Lee also had to navigate the U.S.-China rivalry. Coming just after a visit from U.S. President Trump, Lee’s meeting with Xi was laden with superpower baggage. He had to raise the sensitive 2017 THAAD missile dispute, a U.S. security measure that China loathes.
With his political agenda in tatters, Lee was left to accept the economic offerings. Chinese state media celebrated seven new economic agreements, including a currency swap. But these deals could not mask the fact that on the key issues of public support and national security, President Lee was completely jammed.