TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) urged South Korea to respect Taiwan's identity after Seoul labeled the island "China (Taiwan)" on electronic entry cards Wednesday (Dec. 10). Lai highlighted close exchanges and frequent economic interactions between the two countries during his remarks. The president expressed hopes South Korea would respect the Taiwanese people's will and maintain friendly bilateral relations.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺), Taiwan's vice foreign minister, called South Korea's labeling actions unwise during remarks Wednesday. Chen stated such unfriendly actions toward Taiwan were unwise and counterproductive to bilateral ties. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan's diplomatic agency, hopes to continue communication with Seoul, reminding South Korea that maintaining good bilateral relations is of utmost importance.
Li Yuan (李遠), Director of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan's cultural affairs chief, emphasized increasing cultural exchanges between Taiwan and South Korea before the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, Wednesday. Li mentioned growing interest in Taiwanese literature among South Koreans over recent years. The minister committed to promoting Taiwan's cultural influence internationally while distinguishing Taiwan's unique characteristics from China's cultural identity.
South Korea maintains a large trade surplus with Taiwan, with the island facing a deficit of roughly US$27.567 billion (around NT$858.3 billion) from January to October 2025. Taiwan's imports from South Korea totaled US$46.302 billion (around NT$1,440.2 billion), while exports amounted to US$18.735 billion (around NT$582.7 billion). Rising calls for countermeasures have raised concerns cultural exchanges could be affected, especially after last week's AAA awards in Kaohsiung, a major southern Taiwan city.