South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a high-stakes state visit, hours after North Korea launched ballistic missiles into the sea a calculated show of force coinciding with Lee’s diplomatic engagement with China.
This marks President Lee Jae Myung first visit to China since taking office in June, underscoring Seoul’s urgent push to stabilize the Korean Peninsula amid escalating regional tensions.
Analysts interpret Pyongyang’s missile salvo as a strategic signal aimed at deterring closer Seoul-Beijing cooperation and asserting North Korea’s influence in denuclearization talks.
Lee Jae Myung is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for their second summit in just two months an unusually short interval that highlights Beijing’s keen political and economic interest in fortifying bilateral ties with Seoul, particularly as Sino-Japanese relations remain strained following Tokyo’s recent military rhetoric regarding Taiwan.
The South Korean delegation includes over 200 business and political figures, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y.
Lee Jae Myung, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, reflecting the intertwining of economic strategy and political diplomacy.
Key discussion points are expected to focus on supply chain security, digital economy cooperation, and cultural diplomacy issues that signal China and South Korea’s intent to consolidate regional influence while countering North Korea’s destabilizing maneuvers.
Lim Eul-chul, professor at Seoul’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, described North Korea’s missile launches as “a politically calibrated message to Beijing, warning against deepening ties with Seoul while countering China’s denuclearization stance.”
The visit underscores the delicate balancing act for South Korea: advancing strategic cooperation with China while navigating provocations from Pyongyang, a volatile North Korean regime, and maintaining alignment with U.S. security interests in the Indo-Pacific.
