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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung during his phone call with US President Trump, pictured right, on June 6, 2025. (EPA/Yonhap)

The South Korean government said that the potential role of South Korea in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan will not be up for discussion during the US-South Korea summit slated for later this month.

The administration is maintaining its distance from any issues concerning the Taiwan Strait — the powder keg in the discord between the US and China — indicating that it will stick to its strategy of “pragmatic diplomacy.” 

“There will be no such discussions,” a senior government official said on Tuesday when questioned about the possibility of discussions about South Korea’s role in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. “That is a hypothetical situation, so we will not talk about it.” 

During working-level talks to iron out the details of the upcoming summit, the US representatives reportedly communicated that they will not bring up the subject of Korea’s potential role in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. 

The summit has reportedly been scheduled for the final week of August, and the exact date will likely be announced soon. 

This stance was to be expected, considering the Lee Jae-myung administration’s emphasis on “pragmatic diplomacy” as a pillar in its foreign policy approach. The administration plans on maintaining its alliance with the US while fortifying its relations with China as a strategic partner. This is why observers say that even if the summit produces a joint statement that mentions the Taiwan Strait, it will not use language that goes beyond the boilerplate stances already expressed. 

The Taiwan Strait was first mentioned in a joint statement from the leaders of the US and South Korea in May 2021, during the Moon Jae-in administration. The statement emphasized “the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Meanwhile, the presidential office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aggressively stepped in to try to de-escalate after Chinese state media expressed overt distaste for comments made by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun during his recent interview with the Washington Post. 

“Minister Cho’s remarks were meant to express Korea’s intention to continue to foster a relationship between South Korea and China to contribute to people's economic well-being, regional stability and prosperity, despite differences over some issues between the two countries,” the presidential office said in a statement. 

A senior government official struck a similar tone. 

“When Cho visited Japan and the US, he stressed the need for engagement with China. His comments indicated that to maintain balance, China’s activities in the West Sea [Yellow Sea] and the South China Sea make its neighbors uncomfortable,” they said. 

During his interview with the Washington Post published earlier this week, Cho said, “In Northeast Asia, we have another problem of China becoming somewhat problematic with its neighbors.” 

The English and Chinese editions of the Global Times, a Chinese state media outlet, cited multiple experts to assert that Cho was echoing the talking points of the US and other Western countries in his assessment of China. 

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]