Significance. Bilateral relations between South Korea and China remain one of East Asia’s most consequential yet misunderstood strategic dynamics. While anti-China demonstrations in Seoul sparked by fringe pro-Yoon groups have drawn public attention, these theatrics are politically insignificant. They reflect fringe online radicalization not mainstream sentiment. In contrast, the geopolitical and economic imperatives driving Seoul and Beijing toward a quiet thaw are both substantive and enduring.