News Desk
SEOUL, South Korea — The Chinese ambassador to South Korea, Dai Bing, took a sharp swipe at certain conservative groups in the country on Tuesday, accusing them of stirring up anti-China feelings for their own political gain. Speaking at his first press briefing since taking the job late last year, Dai didn’t hold back, warning that these actions could sour relations between Beijing and Seoul at a time when tensions are already running high.
Held at the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, the event drew more than 10 news outlets, including local papers like The Korea Times and foreign reporters. Dai, who’s been vocal on social media like X, tackled head-on the claims that China meddled in South Korea’s elections — a charge that’s been floating around, especially since South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol brought it up during his messy impeachment trial. Yoon, now on the ropes after declaring martial law for a few chaotic hours late last year, has pointed fingers at China, saying its supposed interference pushed him to that drastic step. There’s no solid proof behind his claims, but they’ve added fuel to an already tense situation.
Dai brushed off the accusations, saying these conservative factions are just a “tiny minority” in South Korea and don’t speak for most people. Still, he warned their “disruptive influence” could do real harm to the relationship between the two countries, which has been shaky lately over trade fights and security worries. One big sore spot? South Korea’s recent move to block downloads of DeepSeek, a new Chinese AI app. Dai called it straight-up discrimination, slamming Seoul for turning a tech issue into a political weapon.
“China’s stance is clear,” he said. “We don’t like it when people use ‘stabilization’ or ‘regulation’ as an excuse to pick on our tech.” He insisted Chinese companies follow local laws wherever they operate and denied Beijing ever told them to illegally snatch up data — a jab at critics who say apps like DeepSeek could be spying tools. “Every device has risks,” he added, shrugging off the idea that China’s tech is uniquely dangerous.
The ambassador didn’t stop there. With the U.S. leaning on South Korea to team up against China, Dai threw out a blunt warning: ditch China’s huge market for America’s sake, and Seoul might regret it. “If South Korea pulls back now, good luck getting back in later,” he said, hinting at economic payback down the road.
Then there’s the North Korea angle. Some say China’s losing its grip on Pyongyang as Russia cozying up to Kim Jong Un’s regime. Dai shot that down flat. “What Russia does with North Korea has nothing to do with us,” he said, sticking to China’s line of pushing slow, cautious talks to cool off the nuclear standoff.
Dai’s comments come as South Korea and China trade barbs over more than just politics. Anti-China protests here have ticked off Beijing, and Dai grumbled that they could scare off Chinese tourists and hurt South Korea’s reputation. He even brought up a deadly highway collapse that killed two Chinese workers, pressing Seoul to look out for the thousands of Chinese laborers in the country.
Despite the tough talk, Dai tried to end on a softer note. He pointed to the good old days when China and South Korea helped each other grow — Korea’s economy got a boost, and China got its reforms rolling. “No one can argue setting up diplomatic ties was a mistake,” he said. But the undercurrent was clear: China’s not happy, and it’s laying the blame on South Korea’s doorstep.
The ambassador’s outspoken style — rare for a Chinese diplomat here — shows Beijing’s ready to push back hard. With Yoon’s fate hanging in the balance and the U.S. watching closely, the next moves could test just how much strain this relationship can take.
