US-China rivalry puts squeeze on South Korea in the Taiwan Strait

Seoul is expected to stick to its one-China policy but observers note a stronger tone as it moves closer to Washington

More overt attitude seen as likely to be driven by North Korean nuclear threat and promise of American protection

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s recent comments on the Taiwan Strait have angered Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 7 May 2023Updated: 6:17pm, 7 May 2023

South Korea’s room for strategic ambiguity is narrowing, as President Yoon Suk-yeol becomes more vocal about the tensions in the Taiwan Strait, analysts said.

While official language remains vague, in line with Seoul’s long-standing position, Yoon adopted a stronger tone more in line with US rhetoric during his visit to Washington late last month.

Observers expect South Korea to continue to tread a fine line between China and US in their geopolitical rivalries, but said Seoul is likely to move closer towards Washington’s position, as it seeks more protection from the nuclear threat to the North.

Ma Jianying, director of Shandong Normal University’s Centre for Maritime Security Studies, said Seoul previously intervened in the Taiwan issue by stressing the importance of peace and stability.

“But the joint statement between the US and South Korea this time has apparently intensified intervention in the strait by stressing opposition to using force to change the status quo,” he said.

The statement – issued by Yoon and US President Joe Biden in Washington to mark the 70th anniversary of the US-South Korean alliance – strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, “including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarisation of reclaimed features and coercive activities”.