South Korea asked China to play ‘mediator’ role for North, will work to ease negative public sentiment, Lee says

SHANGHAI — President Lee Jae Myung said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to work towards eliminating negative public sentiment towards each other's countries during their bilateral summit, but indicated they will each maintain their respective stances on historical issues in a press briefing in Shanghai on Wednesday.

Lee called allegations of China's involvement in election fraud in South Korea "outrageous," saying anti-China sentiments were not helpful for bilateral economic cooperation and normalization of relations in a press conference in Shanghai on Wednesday on the outcome of his four-day state visit.

Regarding the North Korea issue, Lee said he told Xi that he hopes China "will act as a mediator of peace" because communication with North Korea is "not working out" at the moment.

Lee said that Xi replied that he appreciates the efforts Seoul has made so far and that the two sides "need to be patient" regarding the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue.

"We've been carrying out military attacks against North Korea for a long time," Lee said. "If we are to engage in dialogue with our counterparts, we must understand their position."

When asked how he interpreted Xi's exhortation that both countries stand on the "right side of history," Lee said, "I understood it as the Confucian saying of 'live well and have a good life.'"

Lee indicated that if Xi had an issue in mind, he didn't feel the need to respond specifically to it because a bilateral summit "is about each party expressing their own concerns."

Xi, during his opening remarks at the bilateral summit on Monday, said that the two countries must "stand firmly on the right side of history" and "make the right strategic choices."

Lee's four-day state visit to China, his first overseas event of the year, comes amid rising tensions between the United States and China over the U.S. strike on Venezuela, and between China and Japan over the Taiwan issue. Some interpreted the remarks as China pressuring South Korea to stand on its side in both matters.

"Each country says what they want to say," Lee told reporters in the briefing, adding, "We must naturally respect each country's core interests and major concerns."

To this end, he said, "President Xi is doing his utmost for China's national interests, and I am doing my utmost for South Korea's interests."

Lee said that he told Xi that "relations between nations are about compromise and adjustment where necessary."

During the press conference, Lee spent considerable time addressing negative public sentiment toward each other's countries. Lee said he and Xi reached a consensus that anti-Chinese and anti-Korean sentiments in each country need to be improved upon.

"We must eliminate groundless and unnecessary incitement of anti-China sentiment," Lee said. "Should we hurt feelings by accusing China of election fraud or other outrageous things?"

He urged to continue efforts to "curb any incitement of anti-China and anti-Korean sentiment."

Regarding anti-China sentiments within South Korea, Lee noted that "aside from Hong Kong, South Korea's trade balance with China has turned into a deficit."

Lee said anti-China sentiment in Korea has contributed to a trend in which Chinese people increasingly dislike Korean products.

South Korea has "suffered far greater damage" from such negative public sentiments, Lee said.

Regarding recent reports that the suspect in the massive data breach at Coupang was Chinese, further contributing to anti-China sentiments, Lee said it wasn't right to generalize a group of people over an isolated incident.

One of the reasons that ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol cited when he declared martial law in December 2024 was alleged election rigging, with some right-wing groups accusing China of being behind such rigging.

When asked if there were discussions on China's lifting of its unofficial ban on Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, Lee replied that since Xi has "instructed working-level departments to engage in concrete discussions, actual discussions will take place."

He added that China indicated that "this issue will be resolved in an orderly, beneficial and healthy manner."

Lee said he believed Xi's remarks were not only a sign of resolve but also a "clear expression of intent."

For nearly a decade, China has imposed unofficial economic sanctions targeting South Korea's entertainment and tourism industries after Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) antimissile system to Korea in 2016, leading to a cooling of bilateral relations.

In the briefing, Lee acknowledged that lifting the ban would require time, as "spring doesn't come suddenly."

Lee said he also conveyed that the "basis for inciting anti-Chinese sentiment in South Korea must be minimized," and that such proof could be provided by easing restrictions on South Korean cultural content.

Lee's surprise briefing was broadcast live and lasted 65 minutes, running 20 minutes longer than expected.

Lee said there was also a discussion about China's installation of maritime structures in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ), a jointly managed area in the Yellow Sea, which has been a source of diplomatic friction.

Lee said that he had proposed to his aides drawing a precise line of demarcation in the middle of the jointly managed area, saying that he believes "working-level discussions will proceed toward eliminating the root cause of the problem."

Lee further indicated that China could remove one of three of its steel structures built in the PMZ, noting this third facility is for management.

When asked if he would act as a mediator in the China-Japan conflict, Lee said, "If you act when you don't have to, it might not be of much help," indicating that the current situation does not require a mediator role.

Regarding his visit, Lee said there was "more progress" than he expected, saying it was an opportunity to present a more detailed blueprint for restoring bilateral relations.

Lee also highlighted that he intends to meet the Chinese president at least once a year, if possible.