On August 26, a massive flood and debris flow struck the border area between Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The disaster, triggered by glacier and rock collapses in Nepal's Rasuwagadhi region, extended its impact across the border to China's Jilong, where nine South Koreans involved in local hydropower projects were temporarily isolated before being rescued. In the same area, a rapid drainage from a glacial lake had previously caused the collapse of the Friendship Bridge connecting China and Nepal in July 2025. Following the disaster, controversy arose over the lack of advance warning, with claims that China had identified the risks but failed to adequately inform others. China countered these claims by citing the complexities of the terrain and limitations in observation technology. However, the focus should shift from assigning blame to the actions taken afterward. Both countries have initiated the sharing of real-time hydrological and meteorological data and are working to enhance early warning systems. This disaster underscores the importance of cooperation in reducing information gaps and accelerating responses, especially when predictive capabilities are limited.
Today, we live in a hyper-connected society where people, goods, capital, and information are intricately linked, including supply chains and digital networks, as well as air and maritime domains. While this connectivity serves as a foundation for exchange and growth, it can also create pathways for risks and shocks in one region to translate into social and economic costs for another country. South Korea and China are closely connected through aviation, shipping, supply chains, and financial and digital networks. Therefore, discussions on China-South Korea cooperation should not be limited to what can be gained together; they must also address the need to jointly mitigate risks that can impact each other and minimize potential damages.
In this context, several important issues warrant attention. Among them, nuclear safety is a priority area. China is expanding its nuclear power plants along its eastern coast, while South Korea operates numerous reactors. If an abnormal situation arises in either country, accurate information is needed to assess the impact on the other. Existing frameworks, such as the China-South Korea-Japan Nuclear Safety High-Level Regulators Meeting and joint disaster response drills, should be utilized to clarify notification standards and the scope of shared information rather than creating new committees.
The Yellow Sea, where both countries are in close proximity, is a site of practical cooperation. On May 28, South Korea and China conducted their first joint maritime search and rescue exercise, deploying two vessels and one helicopter each. The drill simulated a fire on a fishing vessel, covering accident communication, search and rescue operations, fire suppression, and marine pollution response. In real incidents, delays in initial responses can lead to increased casualties and damage to fishing grounds and coastal ecosystems. Therefore, regularizing joint exercises is essential to repeatedly assess communication systems, on-site command, and resource deployment procedures for rescue and pollution control. In the long term, expanding the scope to include joint investigations and information exchanges on marine debris, water quality, and fishery resources is necessary.
The most pressing area is cyberspace, where information flows continuously across borders. Voice phishing organizations, servers, victims, and financial accounts are dispersed across multiple countries, making it difficult for any single nation to dismantle the entire criminal network through its investigations alone. An MOU on cooperation against voice phishing and online fraud was signed during the 2025 South Korea-China summit, so now it is crucial to establish practical systems for quickly tracking communications and financial flows, and, if necessary, freezing funds and preserving evidence. It is better to differentiate between issues involving national security, such as state-sponsored hacking, and transnational crimes targeting citizens, rather than treating them under the same framework. Although the nature of infectious diseases, drugs, and illegal weapons differs, early detection, information exchange, and rapid cooperation are effective in reducing harm.
However, merely establishing agreements or communication networks does not guarantee actual cooperation. Information related to disasters, health, and cyber issues is intertwined with national responsibilities, security, and industrial interests, which can delay information disclosure and sharing in crisis situations. Structural conflicts, such as North Korea's nuclear program and U.S.-China strategic competition, also pose constraints on China-South Korea cooperation. Therefore, risk management cannot rely solely on the goodwill or political trust of the other party. If nuclear accidents, marine pollution, and transnational crimes are not effectively controlled, both countries will inevitably bear the costs, and this mutual understanding should serve as the foundation for cooperation.
What is crucial is not the continuous creation of new systems but enhancing the effectiveness of existing cooperative frameworks. Clear notification standards for different risk levels, a 24-hour communication network, and a minimum set of information that must be shared should be established, along with regular joint training to assess actual response procedures. Mechanisms to verify the reliability of information and compliance with agreements are also necessary. Cooperation that directly impacts the lives and safety of citizens must maintain at least minimal functionality, even if bilateral relations deteriorate.
China-South Korea cooperation should not be evaluated solely based on visible economic outcomes like trade expansion or increased investment. Preventing major accidents, swiftly blocking transnational crimes, and reducing the impacts of infectious diseases and marine pollution are also significant achievements. Moving forward, China-South Korea cooperation should evolve to manage cross-border risks and minimize potential losses, alongside expanding mutual benefits.
Author's Major Background
▲ Research Fellow, AI Research Lab, Gyeonggi Research Institute ▲ Adjunct Professor, Department of Strategic Information, Hanyang University ▲ Member, Special Committee on Local Governments, Presidential Committee on Basic Society ▲ Evaluator, Overseas Institutions, Economic and Social Research Council
* This article has been translated by AI.
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