On a recent weeknight, Lin Yung-pin guided a group of Taiwanese visitors through Myeongdong, a vibrant Seoul tourist district that has historically seen anti-China protests. To avoid potential harassment, Mr. Lin explained, some members of his tour groups carry badges or signs explicitly stating their origin as Taiwan, not China.
While anti-China sentiment is not a new phenomenon in South Korea, recent weeks have witnessed a significant increase in demonstrations by far-right groups in Seoul. These protests were sparked by the government’s decision to ease visa restrictions for Chinese tourist groups. Hundreds of demonstrators have reportedly displayed signs proclaiming “Korea for Koreans” and “Stop the Chinese Boats,” with some media outlets reporting the use of racial slurs.
South Korean authorities are now under pressure to manage these escalating protests. The situation poses a tricky diplomatic tightrope for President Lee Jae Myung, who is set to host both U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week, just before a major Asia-Pacific economic summit.
Mr. Lin estimates that approximately one in twenty tourists on his tours carry identifying badges or signs from Taiwan. “If they get mistaken as Chinese and harassed, they can show it and they’ll be left alone,” he noted.
As a Taiwanese national himself, Mr. Lin also advises Taiwanese tourists to refrain from speaking Mandarin publicly if they find themselves near any anti-China demonstrations.
These ongoing protests threaten to further complicate the already intricate diplomatic maneuvering required of President Lee. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which South Korea is hosting, will see Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump holding anticipated talks prior to the main event.
President Lee has publicly condemned the anti-China protests, labeling them “self-destructive conduct that damages the national interest and image,” according to local media. His progressive Democratic Party of Korea has even proposed a bill in the National Assembly to outlaw rallies promoting hatred or discrimination. However, this legislative effort faces strong opposition from conservative factions, who argue it could stifle legitimate dissent.
For President Lee, maintaining a balance is key: he must strive to quell potentially embarrassing public demonstrations without being perceived as overly authoritarian in his response.
“South Korea boasts a very lively protest culture,” remarked John Delury, a senior fellow at the Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations, based in Seoul. He warned that a heavy-handed government response could “galvanize larger support for the protests — not necessarily from anti-C.C.P. sentiment, but from a general pro-protest culture sentiment,” referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
The relationship between Seoul and Beijing plunged following South Korea’s 2016 decision to deploy an advanced U.S. antimissile system, which was met with economic and diplomatic retaliation from China. In the years that followed, despite some stabilization, public opinion polls have consistently indicated a growing distrust of China among South Koreans, particularly within the younger generation.
The current wave of protests appears to have emerged from demonstrations earlier this year in support of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Mr. Yoon, a conservative, was removed from office in April after a brief imposition of martial law. Many far-right activists and influencers who rallied behind him propagated anti-China narratives, including unsubstantiated claims that Beijing was secretly manipulating South Korean elections. Mr. Yoon himself fueled suspicions about Chinese spies when defending his martial law declaration.
Since Mr. Yoon’s impeachment, these continuing protests have evolved into a broader platform for various right-wing concerns. Much of their rhetoric echoes similar right-wing campaigns in other nations, such as the “Stop the Steal” movement following Mr. Trump’s 2020 election defeat.
Beyond anti-China slogans and chants, demonstrators have also called for Mr. Yoon’s reinstatement, criticized President Lee’s leadership, and honored Charlie Kirk, the right-wing activist and Trump ally assassinated in Utah last month, as depicted in protest photos and videos.
Both the Seoul and Beijing governments have attempted to downplay these protesters as a marginal group. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul recently advised Chinese travelers to exercise caution in South Korea due to demonstrations by “certain far-right groups,” but emphasized that the majority of South Koreans welcome Chinese tourists.
Despite the tensions, for many visitors, the protests have not marred their experience of Seoul. Mr. Lin, the Taiwanese tour guide, noted that, apart from basic precautions, neither he nor his tour participants felt significant anxiety about the demonstrations.
Brian Lu, a 23-year-old livestreamer from China’s Guizhou province who was in Seoul after attending a concert, shared that his experiences in South Korea contradicted media reports of anti-Chinese discrimination. He found them to be overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s not like what’s portrayed online,” he commented. “The people here smile a lot, many will greet you, and they’re very polite.”