I got an e-mail from a certain individual (I’m not sure if he wants me to mention who it is) who asked me if I could post the following on this blog:
In an indirect way, I have a chance to ask Colin Powell questions about Korea and North Korea. While trying to think of some of my own, I thought I would take it to the Korean blogging community to see if they can come up with some good, intelligent questions.
No, this is not a joke — the request is legit. So, if you’ve got an intelligent question for the U.S. Secretary of State, here’s your chance.
4 Comments
Did you get that brown suit tailored in Itaewon?
I should have said no problem to having my name mentioned.
Love the suit question oranckay. I’ll be sure to include that.
I have received some wonderful questions from those running blogs that I contacted directly. I am looking for more though. Explanations of why you would like the question answered is helpful as well.
Thanks
One more thing. I’m not the one asking the questions to him. But the person has 30 minutes with him to ask a wide variety of questions. 5-10 minutes will be devoted to Korea.
Great opportunity! Here are a few:
1) General question: does the Secretary support the “sunshine policy” of South Korea toward the North? More specifically, does he believe that constructive engagement with the Northern regime is possible? Please note that the NK regime recently reiterated its stance against abandoning its nuclear weapons programs.
2) Will the US provide non-military aid to a unified Korea if unification takes place peacefully? In other words, would the US help a unified Korea to avoid Germany’s recent economic woes?
3) Has the US ruled out military action, at any level, against the Northern regime? Is Southern support for a military neutralization of Northern nuclear facilities “out of bounds?”
4) Would the US support Japanese rearmament if South Korean objections were assuaged? Could this take place above Chinese objections?
5) Does the US still view the Chinese as a credible partner in negotiations with North Korea, despite recent claims by Chinese military staff that the US was the PRC’s main enemy?
For myself, not being a Korea “hand,” I can only perceive the complete appeasement of the NK regime being offered by the South as the result of fear: fear that ROK’s government may be considered the Christian Democratic party of the Korean peninsula if reunification takes place. No politician wants to be saddled with debt, inflated currency, refugees and half a nation in privation. If they avoid the problem, however, I don’t think the US should assist.
Thought experiment: if we could guarantee no refugees crossed into China, would we be able to sell PRC and ROK on active destabilization of the DPRK in the short term?