The Korea Times has a piece by Ralph Cossa that you may wish to read on the implications of the Uri Party victory in Thursday’s general elections may have for U.S.-R.O.K. and inter-Korean ties. Here’s a sample:
For the first time in his troubled presidency, President Roh will have a mandate to lead, but it is not clear what direction he wants to go in the foreign policy arena. Ironically, many of the U.S. force structure changes and realignments being pushed by Washington seem to coincide with Roh’s and the Uri Party’s desires. But how we go about attaining this mutual goal of a reduced footprint and enhanced leading role for the ROK in its own defense will be increasingly important. Seoul will have to be seen more and more as the driver of this train rather than the caboose being pulled along by Washington
Korean nationalism may also prove to be a double-edged sword. Koreans have long had a tendency to see insults from Washington where none was intended while overlooking intentional slights from Pyongyang. At what point will Pyongyang’s refusal to deal with Seoul as an equal on security issues run up against President Roh’s and the Uri Party’s insistence in a “leading role?? in settling the crisis, a position that Washington has now wisely accepted and openly promotes?
Read the rest on your own.
