This week marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Seoul. Over the years, the two countries have collaborated extensively to help promote security and stability, and strengthen the economy of East Asia. We now bring you a special piece on China-South Korea ties.

 

Hand-in-Hand, one of the most critically acclaimed Olympic Games theme songs, advocating world peace and friendship. First broadcast during the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, the tune has become widely known all over the world.

 

In the late 1980s, South Korea's sports industry was becoming increasingly popular and influential in China. As the first developing country in history to have held the Olympic Games, South Korea attracted much attention from the Chinese people.

 

The world was facing a transitional period in the early 1990s. Tensions between Russia and the United States had eased, and China was seeking a development-centered diplomatic strategy.

 

On August 24, 1992, China and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations. A joint statement was released, saying the establishment of their diplomatic relations would help de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and would also help to stabilize Asia.

 

China-South Korea Joint Statement (August 1992) “The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Korea believe that the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be conducive to the relaxation and stability of tension on the Korean Peninsula, and will also support the peace and stability in Asia.”

 

China's then Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and his South Korean counterpart Lee Sang-ock signed the statement in Beijing. Qian said that China respected the desire of the Korean people for reunification through peaceful means.  

 

Top-level visits have been frequently conducted between the two countries. It began with then South Korean President Roh Tae-woo making a landmark trip to Beijing, just one month after the two sides established official ties. Roh was greeted by Chinese President Yang Shangkun and Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin.

 

China and South Korea also played a key role in the establishment of the six-party talks. Since the DPRK’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003, a series of meetings have been held to find peaceful solutions to security concerns. Over the past two decades, China and South Korea have been working closely to make collaborative contributions to maintain regional stability.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING Welcome to our special coverage on 25th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between China and South Korea. They are neighbours, they are partners. Over the past 25 years, countless achievements in diplomacy and economy have defined the relationship today, but challenges persist. Escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and controversial deployment of THAAD defense system. All needs wisdom from both sides. For more insights, I am joined by Mr. Chui Young-sam, he is the minister of South Korean Embassy in Beijing.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING On the ongoing Korean Peninsula tension, China has pressed for dialogue. What it stands for South Korea.

 

CHOI YOUNGSAM MINISTER, SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING We also seek dialogue. We also seek for the peaceful solutions instead of any kind of war or disputes. So in this sense, Korea and China have very similar minds and goals in realizing the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. For the details there are still some detailed part we have to coordinate with each other. But I am quite sure that because the two countries already share the same philosophy of the peaceful solutions of the North Korean de-nuclearization, we can coordinate all the detailed and small differences in the future.

 

September 3rd, Beijing, China. While Chinese people were celebrating the 70th anniversary of their victory over Japan in World War II…NAT POP…former South Korean President Park Geun-hye attended a military parade at Tiananmen Square. Park stood to the right of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was next to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

 

NAT-Military Parade

 

This moment was believed to represent a historic high in China-Korea relations, when Park made the brave decision to accept Xi Jinping’s invitation to attend the event. This was despite some Western countries pressurising her not to attend, with some accusing her of jeopardizing South Korea’s alliance with the United States.

 

Following the DPRK’s missile tests in 2016, Park decided to deploy the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in South Korea, a move which would enhance its alliance with the US, while at the same time causing friction with China.

 

NAT-THAAD

 

THAAD contains the world’s largest ground and air-transportable system with a surveillance distance of 1,300 kilometers. If deployed in South Korea, this would also encompass a large area of both China and Russia.

 

NAT- Clip from CD REV's MV “No THAAD” Lyrics: “Tryna avoid the sight of me and install a camera in my room”

 

China has strongly condemned the deployment of the THAAD system. A group of Chinese rap artists have emphasised the country's discontent with THAAD by releasing a song and music video.

 

NAT- Clip from CD REV's MV “No THAAD” Tell me do you want violence? No! Tell me should we have to choose science? No! Now telling everybody all over the globe of THADD, we say no no no!

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING Have you ever realized that the deployment of THAAD this decision has already, is not the issue between two governments any more, but have affected the real life of ordinary people from both sides?

 

CHOI YOUNGSAM MINISTER, SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING As you just mentioned, you are very right. THAAD issue is becoming a very important agenda even on the ordinary people from these two countries. In the past it was just the issue of the two governments. This issue is a very important strategically and at the same time very complicated. The two countries’ governments, especially our new government has now started to accelerate our very effective communication with your government at every possible level. For example, at the occasion of the foreign ministers’ meeting which was held in Manila last month, the two foreign ministers, I mean our Foreign Minister Madam Kang Kyung-wha and your Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi have exchanged very profound opinions of this issue. I definitely assure that even though the two foreign ministers just through this one meeting of course they couldn’t solve the whole issue, but anyway they increased their mutual understanding on this issue.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING Well as you said China has its own concerns, South Korean also have their own concerns. Both concerns are natural, and I think China’s concerns are also real and solid. Do you think can South Korea and China pass things over and heal this problem? Do you see any potential breakthrough in this tension?

 

CHOI YOUNGSAM MINISTER, SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING Because we just started and exchanged our communication on this issue, it may be a little too early for me to say the final conclusion. But I advise you to look back on our past 25 years of history. During the last 25 years’ history between the two nations, there had been a lot of decisions, and incidents and events and problems. But in the end, we have solved very very friendly and effectively. I have a very firm belief and strong trust in this kind of capacity of mutual solution, and mutual communication and understanding.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING If you live in Beijing, you can easily find some great South Korean cuisine and experience it culture in Wudaokou or Wangjing. An estimated 200,000 Koreans living in Chinese capital mainly in those two famous K-towns. China and South Korea share many similarities in terms of culture that makes China a major market for South Korean's cultural products. Ma Ke has the details.

 

Many people in China may recognise this tune from the hit Korean drama Dae Jang Geum. The theme song's original singer, Kweon Tae-Kyung, has been living in China for years. She teaches traditional Korean instruments at the Beijing Korean Cultural Center, and also founded the Chinese-Korean Friendship Gayageum Orchestra.

 

KWEON TAE-KYUNG SOUTH KOREAN TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN "In 1989, I was in my first year at college. At the time China and South Korea had not established diplomatic ties yet. It was then that I fell in love with Beijing Opera."

 

Kweon was not the only Korean artist attracted to Beijing. In 2004, South Korean director Lee Gyo-wook produced the TV series, Beijing, My Love, the first to be co-produced by Chinese and South Korean broadcasters.

 

Over a decade has passed since the drama was first aired. Since then, Korean culture in China has evolved into various forms, including Korean food, fashion, and the K-pop genre of music. This may be largely down to the large scale of student exchanges between the two countries. Last year, over 70,000 South Korean students studied in China, more than from any other country. Meanwhile, around half of all international students in South Korea were Chinese. Here in an area close to one of Beijing's top universities, Korean restaurants are a common sight.

 

LEE JOON-HO KOREAN RESTAURANT OWNER "At the beginning we had mainly Korean customers, but now around 70 percent of our customers are Chinese."

 

From Korean food to the Gangnam style Chinese hearts have been captured K-pop dances are attracting people from all ages through its dynamic and energetic rhythms and beats. And an increasing number of kids are taking up the South Korean martial art Taekwondo.

 

HOU QIANG, INSTRUCTOR FITO TAEKWONDO CLUB"Taekwondo helps train our body and mind. I think its spirituality represents the common sense of Chinese and Asian people."

 

Friendship goes beyond borders. Every time she performs in China, Kweon Tae-kyung will end her song with a heartfelt wish. (Her singing voice: "China and South Korea, we are forever friends.")

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING South Korea has been very successful in exporting its culture. And K-pop or K-wave has swept across the whole Asia including China. Celebrities, entertainment, TV series, and movies. A lot people in China enjoy it. What do you think China can learn from South Korea in terms of the culture exporting?

 

CHOI YOUNGSAM MINISTER, SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING Actually from my own opinion China’s cultural export is overwhelming in South Korea these days. Even I myself or my children, when we are in South Korea we have greatly enjoyed China’s TV dramas, such as the Daughter in Palace. And a lot of people these days are really enjoying the Chinese cultural contents. From my own understanding, China also has its strong point in cultural industry. Korea also has its own strong point in cultural industry. But our strong points are very different. So in this sense there are many ways we can cooperate. So we are not competitors in this sense. We are the cooperators in exploring our new foreign markets in the future especially in regards to this cultural content. We can work together. We can explore together. We can make together. And we can be successful together.

 

China and South Korea’s economic and trade cooperation has developed rapidly since they established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2015, they signed the China-South Korea Free-Trade Agreement and, according to the latest reports, it's having a significant impact on their trade relations. For instance, in the first three months of this year, their trade volume increased by over a sixth, totalling almost 57 billion U.S. dollars. South Korean imports from China increased by 15.6% in the same period, totalling 23-and-a-third billion dollars, with mechanical and electrical products the biggest drivers. China has always been an important trading partner of South Korea, with many Korean companies see it as having great market potential. In 2014, tech-giant Samsung shipped over 20 million smart-phones to China, giving it a 20% market share here. In the same year, Korean companies Hyundai and Kia Motors became two of the top automobile suppliers in the Chinese market.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING What are some of the cooperating trends in the future between the two countries?

 

CHOI YOUNGSAM MINISTER, SOUTH KOREAN EMBASSY IN BEIJING In every area, including factory industry or cultural industry, there is a very impressive thing from one of my very respectful Chinese leaders of our past to future cooperation between Korea and China. In the past, the most important factor to be successful with China was make IN China. So using the low level of the Chinese regime, many Korean factories came here and they made their outcomes, and they exported these goods to the country. This phase has already passed away. The second phase was make FOR China. Because Chinese people became very rich and now they have the ability to purchase many good items. So during this period many Korean people made some items to be consumed by Chinese consumers. This phase is passing away too. Now in the future, to be more successful, it is very important to remember to make WITH China. China now has many advanced technologies, and very abundant capitals and other very strong points. Korea also has its strong points. If we can make something, cultural content or factory goods hand in hand, using our own specific strong points, we can be successful not only in Korea but also in China and at the same time in everywhere of the globe.

 

YANG ZHAO BEIJING Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Choi. Thank you for being with us today.