Posted on 07/21/2006 6:42:27 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Korea-US Alliance Cracking
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
South Korea finds itself increasingly at odds with the United States over how to deal with the adamant North Korea as Pyongyang adopts a more hardline policy in the face of growing pressures from the outside.
North Korea’s missile tests on July 5 initially brought the allies to a united front. But there is now a widening rift over decisions regarding sanctions on North Korea since the United Nations Security Council resolution on July 15.
Hardliners in Washington and Tokyo proposed stronger measures to tame the Stalinist North but President Roh Moo-hyun called for a ``softer’’ diplomatic approach to the problems.
In a meeting of security-related Cabinet ministers at Chong Wa Dae Wednesday, Roh set forth his negative feelings toward additional sanctions or pressures on the North, a thinly veiled objection to the hawkish approaches by Washington and Tokyo.
``The missile launches were a wrong behavior and are feared not only to harm peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula but also trigger a regional arms race,’’ Roh was quoted as telling the ministers. ``But the moves by some forces (countries), which create unnecessary tension, will not be helpful either for settling the problems.’’
His remarks came at a time when Washington is moving to restore a package of economic sanctions against North Korea that was eased in July 2000 under the Bill Clinton administration.
Stuart Levey, the U.S. Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told South Korean officials in Seoul earlier this week that senior U.S. officials are discussing follow-up measures, according to officials here.
Levey was reported to have raised concerns that cash flowing into North Korea through the inter-Korean joint businesses can be diverted for developing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
Song Min-soon, Roh’s chief security aide denied the reports, indicating that the inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong and tourism project at Mt. Kumgang would be continued.
However, South Korea was caught off guard yesterday when Pyongyang notified Seoul all of a sudden that it would stop family reunion programs.
Pyongyang’s move is apparently in retaliation for Seoul’s suspension of aid following the missile test-firing.
``North Korea’s sudden halt to the reunion project has an aspect of pressuring the South Korean government not to easily align itself with the United States and Japan for a closer cooperation,’’ said Professor Nam Sung-wook of Korea University in Seoul.
North Korea watchers, however, said Pyongyang’s latest attempts to drive a wedge between South Korea and the United States, which seem to be initiated by the North’s hardliners, could only end up pushing South Korea further into a corner.
Cho Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, suggested South Korea have some time until after the phase of escalated tension fades out rather than reacting to the North with an unpleasant feeling.
``We don’t need to react to North Korea’s emotional response,’’ he said. ``What we have to do now is to try to calm down the North as it would be wanting to find a face-saving exit in the near future.’’
If these morons keep this up, S. Korea will be slapped with financial sanctions, too. All S. Korean banking institution will be affected, starting with those banks dealing with corporations doing business with N. Korea.
Roh Moo-hyun recently started FTA negotiation with U.S. It pretty much surprised everybody, including U.S.. IMHO, this is a ploy to keep U.S. from completely turning away from S. Korea, while Roh's government continue to obstruct U.S. policy toward N. Korea. His decision to send 3,000-strong Zaytun Brigade of S. Korea to Iraq could be based on the same reason. Give whatever can mollify U.S. just enough to put up with S. Korean government's antics.
He is determined to guard his appeasement policy at all costs. He once declared during his campaign in 2002, "If we get N. Korea thing right, it's OK everything else can go to hell." Seems this was not an empty compaign talk. He is dangerously close to becoming an outright traitor.
Some S. Koreans have wondered from time to time whether Roh Moo-hyun could finish his full term, judging from his unscrupulous and destructive course of actions. It is increasingly possible that this is no longer a rhetorical question.
I think Sutart Levey brought some serious message, demanding clear 'Yes or No' answer. I have been afraid of the possibility that S. Korea could become Israel and California rolled-up together. Security catastrophe equivalent to that of Israel after Al Aqsa Riot, and economic disaster comparable to Claifornia Treasury's bankrupcy after its power crisis. It would just happen thanks to fearlessly twisted Roh.:(
Ping!
Hey Roh, no problem! You take care of it.
Guys, pack your things, we're out'a here, all 37,000 of us.
I am asking this as a serious question. Do we really need South Korea? Is there any strategic value to our presence there? If not, then lets get out and do everything we can to provoke the North to invade. I would LOVE to see all how all these South Korean students (read useful idiots) who want reunification so badly react. I mean, the first time they protest the beloved leader I would love to see their faces as the bullets spray the crowd and/or they are shipped off to the gulag.
Hell, at least the Iraqis want freedom and are willinig to fight for it. Yo, John Murtha, you want to "re-deploy" well I have an idea. Lets stop wasting time in Korea and re-deploy our troops where they are somewhat wanted, but definitely needed.
"Guys, pack your things, we're out'a here, all 37,000 of us."
And we will take our weapons thank you. By the way, if you are looking for us, we will be somewhere near Tehran. Don't forget to write.
We can do all the defending we need to do from Guam.
"The South Koreans are such a bunch of limp wrist-ed pansies."
You really don't know what the hell you are talking about.
"I really think they need to get smacked around a bit to welcome them to the REAL WORLD."
Yeah, they've been without war, starvation, raping, and pillaging for a few decades. They know nothing about the real world. /sarc You have no idea what you are talking about.
bump for later...........
On the bright side, this will allow us to crush pinkos and commies in S. Korea in one big punch. They made themselves so visible and blatant, and lost popular appeal faster than they came to power.
There are two stories going on at the moment. Pinkos and reds doing their last bang, while people are coalescing to crush them. The middle ground is evaporating. Ruling party's popularity is about 13%, while conservative opposition's is about 50%. A rather unusual statistic because opposition party rarely climb over 40% in a poll in the past.
It will be a really interesting time between now and the end of next year. A lot can happen. I expect a dramatic swing to the right. "Koreans do not do shades of gray; they flip," quoting Aidan Forster-Carter.
I think South Korea want a reunification like Germany had. Unfortunately, in this case, East Germany comes out on top.
Pull our troops out of South Korea. Let THEM deal with the problem if they don't like the way we do it. They'll get what they deserve. They'll be shocked when they wake up one morning to find T-72s rolling down their streets. Their assuming that NK doesn't have the resources to mount an invasion, but they're wrong...Kim will starve however many it takes to do it, on the assumption at after he invades, he'll just take what he needs from the South. And stand by for a huge wave of South Korean immigration to the US when it happens. I just hope that Hyundai and other companies move here too. Don't leave anything for Krackpot Kim to use.
Good Cop, Bad Cop? Diplomatic feeler? Plain idiocy??
People tend to look at a few idiot college students and think they represent the entire country. If you did that same thing to the US you would get an equally distorted view.
SK is well aware of the danger and proximity of NK.
When the bombs and artillary from the North starts falling on Seoul who are they going to call?
Since at least the mid-70's, S Korea has been devoted to and become expert at shamelessly and greedily exploiting America in every way imaginable IN ADDITION TO the military umbrella we have provided. Time for it to swim or sink on its own, or let the United Nations step back up to the S Korean plate again.
"Since at least the mid-70's, S Korea has been devoted to and become expert at shamelessly and greedily exploiting America in every way imaginable IN ADDITION TO the military umbrella we have provided."
And your rational for that is what?
S.K. is going to end up "peacefully negotiating" itself into a complete takeover by Uncle Kim.
Does nobody in the world study history any more?
Personal experiences and observations on the ground in S Korea and east Asia over many years as well as freely available info on and from ROK from many quarters. I wasn't blinded by the easy and cheap fun I had while on active duty there. 15 or even 20 years is OK as a welfare child, but more than half a century is preposterous, in fact an embarrasment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.