The bilateral relationship has grown closer in recent decades, owing to active exploration of the Chinese market by South Korea’s large industrial conglomerates. Today, their bilateral trade dwarfs that between China and North Korea.
由于韩国大型工业集团积极开拓中国市场，近几十年来中韩双边关系日趋密切。今天，中朝贸易较之中韩贸易相形见绌。但中韩关系从政治层面看一直不甚活跃。鉴于中朝关系密切，中国领导人从未热心与无论左翼还是右翼的韩国民选政府改善关系。