Signs of improvement in Sino-Korean relations... ”From US-centric diplomacy to balanced US-China diplomacy?” = Korea

The South Korean-Chinese relationship, which had been cold for some time, is showing signs of improvement. The South Korean government maintains that there has been no change in its diplomatic stance, but it has significantly narrowed the diplomatic distance with China around the time of last week's South Korea-China summit.
Combined with the inauguration of the Trump administration in the United States, the close ties between North Korea and Russia, and the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea, this trend is likely to continue for some time.
A senior official from the South Korean presidential office told South Korean reporters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the 18th (local time), "South Korea has
"I am always mindful of the relationship between the three countries. If conditions permit, it is important to continue high-level consultations and communication," he said. "Since the (Japan-China-South Korea) summit in May, high-level dialogue (among Japan, China and South Korea) has become more frequent and in-depth."
He added, "In the future, the two countries plan to achieve concrete results through FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations, trade cooperation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges."
Recently, South Korea and China have been rapidly growing closer. Earlier this month, China made a surprise announcement that it would allow South Koreans to travel without a visa for a short period of time.
The Korea-China summit held in Lima, Peru last week also showed signs of improving relations. At the summit, held for the first time in two years, President Yoon Seok-youl stated, “The two countries have mutually
"I hope that we can further develop our strategic cooperative partnership based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and common interests," he said, inviting Xi to visit South Korea.
As South Korea will be the chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, it is expected that President Xi will visit South Korea on the occasion of the APEC summit in Gyeongju next year.
The last time the two sides held talks was in 2014. President Yoon's comments on U.S.-China relations are also noteworthy. In a written interview with Brazilian media published on the 18th, President Yoon said:
"We hope that U.S.-China relations will develop in a direction that contributes to peace and prosperity in the international community, and in that process, Korea will cooperate closely with both the U.S. and China," he said. "For Korea, the two countries are one of two.
This has led to the interpretation that the Yoon administration's diplomatic tone may be shifting from a US-centered one to one of balance with the US and China.