Well, Noh apparently thinks engagement’s good for him:
President Roh Moo-hyun said Wednesday his government will continue to engage North Korea through inter-Korean dialogue despite a request from the United States that Seoul sever ties with Pyongyang and press the North to abandon its nuclear weapon ambitions.
“In fact, the United States wants us to join it in severing dialogue and exchanges with North Korea and putting pressure on the North,” Roh said in a joint interview with a group of reporters from the southern resort island of Jeju. “The U.S. strategy is adopting a stronger position (toward North Korea).”
“We, however, think it is more favorable for us to adopt a strategy of dialogue and engage North Korea concurrently (with the six-nation nuclear talks),” Roh said.
Roh’s remarks come just days after the end of the second round of six-way talks on North Korea’s nuclear activities in Beijing, where South Korea played a significant role in mediating the wide differences between the hard-line positions of the North and the United States.
Perhaps I missed something (certainly possible), but I don’t recall a request from Washington that South Korea break off its relations with the North. I mean, I’d certainly understand if such a request were made, but if Washington didn’t ask, why even mention it? By the way, I’d like to draw attention to the last sentence — “South Korea played a significant role in mediating the wide differences between the hard-line positions of the North and the United States.” Mediating? Hmm….
Oh, and just to keep the gears of inter-Korean cooperation and reconciliation well-oiled, South Korea will again abstain from voting on an EU-sponsored UN resolution censuring North Korea for its human rights violations:
The South Korean government said Wednesday it would abstain from voting if the European Union (EU) pushes another resolution on North Korea’s human rights abuses when the UN Commission on Human Rights convenes in Geneva on Mar. 15.
Grand.
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“”We, however, think it is more favorable for us to adopt a strategy of dialogue and engage North Korea concurrently (with the six-nation nuclear talks),” Roh said.”
I wonder if the added bit was put there by the reporter to try and make more sense or was actually the implied meaning?
My guess is that Noh was talking in a more general way about how he believes he needs to work against the US.
The US has been pushing for the 6 party talks - rather than 1-on-1 —- and I’ve heard nothing to make me think the US is trying even behind the scenes to get rid of the 6 party talk format.
I think Noh was just telling SK and NK that it isn’t going to stop any of the flow of goods and goodwill heading North, so the North won’t have to worry.
I hope his message is also clearly recieved in the US so they can get rid of any lingering illusions about what kind of ally the South has become.
I agree, and as usual, Roh sounds ridiculous when he’s trying to sound tough–this time to Washington.
Kelly has already gone on the record as supporting a regional defense forum, an idea which I like, too. Roh obviously beleived he can resist Washington and give Seoul some sort of credibility–at least in Seoul’s estimation. the kind of appreciation one sees when newscasters dwell on foreign press coverage of anything Korean.
How many years is the region going to have to deal with Roh disagreeing with other leaders just for the sake of the press coverage and the hometown crowd?
Comrade Roh is yet again pandering to the mob that elected him in the first place. All he cares about is putting his Dear Leader Party, oops, Uri Party flunkies in Congress so he can divert the gravy train to himself and his people and away from Han-nara-dang.
Comrade Roh will say anything to get that mob to vote and the more xenophobic, racist or inflamatory the better. The mob ate it up in 2002 and it gobbles it now.
The economy is a shambles and Comrade Roh could care less. All that matters is power and obeying his orders from the Dear Leader, who is really pissed that the Filthy Americans are keeping the cash he dearly needs from flowing into his gulags.
Comrade Roh truly faces a dilemma: does he piss-off the Filthy Yankees and see the economy further decline or does he piss off the Dear Leader and lose votes in the upcoming election?
what is the story witht the South Korea’s Angibu these days?
I guess I ought to stop reading this blog, since it makes me frantic. Maybe Roh thinks if he can just hold on till Kerry’s elected, then the U.S. will rush to resume the bribe payments to the North, since he must believe that’s the logical solution–one that “saves face” for all concerned.
Well, could be he’s right. After all, he’s the President of a country and I’m just a average U.S. citizen. Perhaps I’m not even that, since I doubt that 99% of my fellow citizens pay any attention to the Korean peninsula.
How much longer will we pay for the privilege of defending the South Koreans while they abuse us for it? Not long I pray.
And Noh and the others who I do think are waiting for a Kerry victory don’t understand the US government.
From what Kerry has said, I think he might decide easily to “reverse the distancing of SK” as part of his desire to end the “foriegn policy of arrogance.”
But I think Congress will control any spending of money and resources to flow back into NK, and the Republicans aren’t going to lose Congress, and Democrats are not going to make fighting the Republicans to help North Korea any kind of priority.
The US government is NOT going to return to 1994 or even 2000.
Kerry will probably end any hope of seeing USFK leave or starting to leave SK anytime in the near or mid-term future…….but that is about all I’d bank on if I were South Korea.
Since when has reality entered Korean politics?