Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

A segment featuring humanoid robots during the recent 2026 Spring Festival Gala in China captured intense attention both at home and abroad. Multiple mainstream South Korean media outlets were quick to provide follow-up coverage, citing tech experts who noted that China's comprehensive strength in AI and robotics has decisively pulled ahead of South Korea. Some experts went as far as to bluntly state that Seoul must face this gap and learn from China. This is not merely a fleeting media trend, but a microcosm of the profound shift in how South Korean society perceives China.

Over the past year, a noteworthy phenomenon has emerged among South Korean think tanks, industrial circles, academia and even the political elite: An increasing number of research institutions and policy architects are proactively shifting their focus toward China. They openly discussed, in media and policy reports, China's technological progress, advocating for a more rational approach to China in the face of intense competitive realities.

China's technological leap was certainly not achieved overnight. However, there has been a persistent tendency to undervalue or even flatly deny China's scientific capabilities. This stemmed from a deep-seated prejudice that "China's political system is incapable of fostering technological innovation." In recent years, however, China's breakthroughs in AI, the digital economy and new energy have begun to erode this psychological defense. Realistic pressures are forcing South Korean society to reexamine its close neighbor.

This situation is not without historical resonance: In the late 18th century, after their visit to China, a group of scholars on the Korean Peninsula began to advocate learning from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in a pragmatic way, forming what became known as the "Northern learning" (Bukhak) school of thought. Although this movement did not become the mainstream of its era, its spirit laid the groundwork for later reformist thought.

Today, South Korea faces a strikingly similar cognitive challenge. In recent years, the West-tilting Yoon Suk-yeol administration has emphasized security and ideology in its China policy, highly "securitizing" technological issues. While this narrative satisfied certain domestic political demands, it has, to a degree, hindered South Korea's ability to objectively evaluate China's actual development and capabilities. 

Currently, the Lee Jae-myung administration emphasizes pragmatism, advocating for foreign relations driven by national interest and drawing upon a philosophy of "seeking truth from facts" as a core governance principle. At the start of 2026, President Lee's state visit to China led to a consensus on strengthening cooperation in AI, green industries and the "silver economy," followed by a wave of South Koreans visiting China for study tours. This indicates that there are indeed forces within South Korea seeking opportunities for cooperation within a competitive landscape.

As global technological competition intensifies and supply chains undergo rapid restructuring, South Korea faces the dual pressure of upgrading high-end manufacturing and addressing a shrinking growth engine caused by an aging population. Framing China entirely as an adversary inevitably raises South Korea's own strategic costs. 

Conversely, exploring institutionalized cooperation in AI, green transition and the digital economy would foster a complementary relationship amid competition, thereby reducing uncertainty.

History proves that isolation and prejudice rarely yield long-term dividends. Today, if South Korea can adopt a more open and rational attitude toward China and seek cooperative space within realistic competition, it will not only improve bilateral relations but also facilitate its own strategic recalibration. 

Against the backdrop of a new technological revolution, what South Korea truly needs is a contemporary "Northern learning" school of thought. This is both a candid acknowledgment of reality and a strategic choice for the future.

Zhan Debin is the director and professor of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE). Chen Yujie is a postgraduate student at the School of Global Governance at SUIBE. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn