Xi’s Summit in South Korea Met by Protests Over China’s Influence

Hundreds of protesters marched through Seoul with anti-China placards on Saturday, demanding “China Out” as President Lee Jae Myung hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state summit. The demonstration highlighted growing domestic anxieties over Beijing’s influence.
Protesters in the Hongdae area chanted “Chinese and Communism, get out of South Korea,” with one 64-year-old conservative protester, Kim Hye Kyung, stating she joined to “protect liberal democracy.” The rally occurred despite an October order from Lee to crack down on such protests, which he said harm the country’s economy.
Inside the summit in Gyeongju, Lee and Xi focused on diplomacy and trade. Lee urged Xi to help restart talks with North Korea, but Pyongyang immediately dismissed Lee’s denuclearisation plan as a “pipe dream.”
The leaders also addressed significant economic frictions. Lee raised the issue of Chinese sanctions on U.S.-linked units of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean. He also brought up the effective ban on South Korean entertainment content, which China imposed after the 2017 deployment of the U.S.-led THAAD missile defense system.
Despite the tensions, seven agreements were signed, including a currency swap. Xi called for respecting “core interests” and “development paths,” while Chinese state media avoided any mention of the contentious North Korea issue.