The heads of state from China and South Korea made reciprocal visits within just two months, opening up a new chapter in the development of bilateral relations. This is also the first time that the South Korean president has visited China since 6 years ago. Lee Jae-myung stated in his opening remarks: "This meeting will serve as an important milestone in initiating the 'Full Restoration of Korea-China Relations' in 2026."
On the day when Lee Jae-myung arrived in Beijing, he met with Korean expats in China and stated that the full restoration of relations between South Korea and China is one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of this government. The presidential office of South Korea said on the 5th that the leaders of the two countries have reached a consensus on holding annual meetings.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, on January 5th, Lee Jae-myung and his wife presented the Chinese side with a "Qilin Picture" and a gold foil dragon-pattern frame. The "Qilin Picture" depicted a Qilin, a peach, and a peony. The Qilin symbolizes the appearance of a sage and a prosperous era, while the peach and the peony represent longevity and prosperity respectively. The gold foil dragon-pattern frame, with a red background, features golden dragon patterns and chrysanthemum and lotus motifs, symbolizing the royal authority and longevity and prosperity.
Regarding some "fractures" between the two countries, the South Korean side claimed that during this visit, they discussed "China's construction of structures in the waters of the provisional measures between South Korea and China in the Yellow Sea".
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference in March last year regarding the issue of the structures in the Yellow Sea that the maritime rights and interests claims of China and South Korea overlap, and the two sides are currently advancing negotiations on maritime boundary demarcation. Regarding the maritime disputes between the two sides, China and South Korea maintain good communication through the maritime affairs dialogue and cooperation mechanism.
The Lowy Institute of Australia pointed out in its analysis that after Ko Shotaro took office, his tough stance on historical issues posed a challenge to the relationship between South Korea and Japan. And in the opinion of analysts, Lee Jae-myung's choice of Shanghai as the visiting destination was not only an attempt to use the shared historical memory between China and South Korea to narrow the emotional distance, but also a pre-setting of the narrative framework of "historical justice" for possible diplomatic frictions with Japan.
