Korea–China Relations in 2025: Cooperation, Competition, and the Enduring Security Paradox

This study examines the transformation and structural characteristics of Korea–China relations in 2025 amid escalating US–China strategic competition and domestic political change in South Korea (hereafter “Korea”). Following prolonged tensions after the THAAD deployment in 2016, bilateral relations entered a new phase under the Lee Jae-myung administration, which emphasized pragmatic and balanced diplomacy. The 2025 Korea–China summit, held on the margins of the APEC meeting in Gyeongju, symbolized efforts to restore political dialogue and economic cooperation. However, persisting security distrust, intensifying technological rivalry, and growing anti-China sentiment in Korean society continued to constrain stable development. As a result, bilateral relations in 2025 exhibited a complex pattern in which diplomatic normalization and structural limitations coexisted. By examining political, economic, security, and societal dimensions, this study argues that Korea–China relations in 2025 represented both a recovery phase and a transitional period toward a new form of unstable equilibrium. This analysis provides insights into the strategic choices and constraints facing Korea as a middle power in an era of great-power competition.