But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defence are the deeper cause of the schism.
“China’s growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea’s negative views about the country,” said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King’s College London.
“Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today’s China,” the international relations professor told AFP.
Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the United States.
Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South’s decision to deploy the US-made THAAD missile defence system.
Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation.
A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste.
Yoon’s administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan.
“Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing,” Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, told AFP.
Opposition leader and election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins.
Beijing won’t “miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South” if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul’s Sejong Institute told AFP, suggesting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping could even take place.
Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea’s concern.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/south-korea-china-displaces-longtime-foe-japan-most-distrusted-neighbour-elections-5161771
