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| Foreign Ministry building / Korea Times file |
By Kim Bo-eun
The foreign ministry is seeking to create a new bureau that will only deal with China-related affairs.
This is in line with increasing demand within the ministry for a greater focus on China considering its increasing global influence.
The bureau, if set up, will deal with the aftermath of a conflict over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, as well as trade issues, according to sources. The ministry said discussions are taking place with the interior ministry for a partial organizational shakeup.
Currently, the Northeast Asian Bureau takes care of China affairs. Under the bureau are three divisions, the first in charge of Japan, the second China and the third Mongolia.
A report on Monday stated that the ministry will create a single bureau for China, and put Japan with India and Australia under a different bureau.
The only bureau within the ministry focusing on a single country is the North American Affairs Bureau.
The fact that the ministry has been considering a plan to create a bureau to focus on China affairs shows the weight Beijing holds in diplomacy.
A ministry official on Tuesday said "the plan involves strengthening the bureau that is in charge of Asia, as there have been many issues including the THAAD system and the new Southern policy."
"We are discussing with related ministries on means to meet the needs of strengthening diplomacy within the region of Asia," he said.
South Korea's deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in 2017 strained relations with China, as the country claims that the system can monitor its military activities.
In order to create a new bureau, the interior ministry needs to approve the plan. Discussions on budget need to take place with the finance ministry, and the plan needs to be reviewed by the ministry of government legislation and passed at the Cabinet meeting.
