President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that South Korea could play a mediating role, where possible, to ease rising tensions between China and Japan, stressing that taking sides would only escalate the dispute.
Lee made the remark during a press conference with foreign media, when asked by a reporter if South Korea was willing to express support for Japan amid the tensions sparked by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Taiwan remarks.
"Taking sides would only escalate the conflict. This applies to both personal relationships and international relations. Rather than taking sides, it's better to seek ways to coexist," Lee said.
"Where possible, it is desirable to minimize the conflict and play a role in mediating and coordination," he said.
Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have badly frayed after Takaichi suggested that a military attack on Taiwan could prompt a response by Japan's Self-Defense Forces, calling it a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan.
In apparent retaliation, China has advised its people against traveling to Japan and suspended its recent decision to resume seafood imports from the neighboring country.
China considers Taiwan, self-governed since it broke away from the mainland in 1949, as part of its territory that must be reunified by force if necessary, and it has strongly objected to any country that challenges this stance. (Yonhap)
