The Marmot’s Hole

OK, I think President Roh’s finally lost it.

Reacting to discussion by Japanese officials of preemptive strikes, Cheong Wa Dae absolutely went off on Tokyo, saying the comments revealed Japan’s “aggressive tendencies,” tendencies against which Korea had no choice but to be alarmed.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Chung Tae-ho said, “When we reflect on the painful historical fact that In the Past ™ Japan used the protection of its citizens residing on the Korean Peninsula as an excuse for invasion, the comments are grave and threatening ones harming peace on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.”

This is the same Cheong Wa Dae, of course, that didn’t find North Korea firing seven missiles in the direction of Japan particularly worrisome.

Chung said, “That Japanese government ministers are repeatedly discussing the possibility of preemptive strikes on the Korean Peninsula and the appropriateness of the use of force is in and of itself a serious situation.”

He continued, “Our government is saying that as a provocative act that seriously harms peace and stability in Northeast Asia, we cannot permit North Korea’s missile launches… But we will strongly react to the arrogance and recklessness of Japan’s political leaders who through their dangerous and provocative comments invoking ‘preemptive strikes’ seek to amplify the crisis on the Korean Peninsula and justify their becoming a military Great Power using the [missile tests] as an excuse.”

No, that wasn’t the KCNA. That was Yonhap News. Quoting the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman.

This situation has gone past silly and is now total and utter bullshit. Cheong Wa Dae is clearly playing on its own team right now—I really wonder if they’re even bothering to consult the Foreign Ministry before issuing these statements. I’d think of something witty to say, but I’m at a complete loss of words. Actually, that’s not true… I do have things to say, but I’d rather cool down first lest I say something I’ll later regret.

UPDATE: Here’s the statement in English, translated by Cheong Wa Dae:

At a daily meeting to check upon current developments, there was a discussion about yesterday’s various statements of the key cabinet members of the Japanese government, which all referred to a “preemptive strike” and “use of force” with regard to North Korea’s missile launches. Considering the gravity and significance of the problem, we have decided to make public the conclusions of today’s meeting.

We cannot help pointing out that the fact Japanese cabinet members, one after another, openly discuss the possibility of a preemptive strike and the validity of a use of force against the Korean Peninsula is itself a grave matter.

In light of the painful historical records that Japan justified its invasion of Korea in the past as a measure to protect its citizens residing on the Korean Peninsula, we cannot but conclude that these grave and threatening statements are to endanger peace in Northeast Asia. They reveal the militant nature of Japan, which warrants our intense vigilance.

The Korean Government has made it clear that North Korea’s missile launches are a provocative act to profoundly threaten the peace and stability in Northeast Asia and that such an act shall not be tolerated. Nonetheless, using this opportunity, the Japanese political leaders are making dangerous and reckless remarks invoking a “preemptive strike” in an attempt to further intensify a crisis on the Korean Peninsula and to justify the militarization of Japan. We will continue to respond decisively to their arrogance and recklessness.

Just to clarify, here is Cheong Wa Dae “making it clear that North Korea’s missile launches are a provocative act to profoundly threaten the peace and stability in Northeast Asia” in an online letter by the Senior Secretary for Public Information dated July 9:

The President’s concern of foremost priority is the safety of the public and a next priority is ensuring that the public would not feel unsafe. A concern about how the public opinion would respond comes after them. Political and media controversies surrounding the missile test-firing should be seen in this context.

Was the missile test-firing by North Korea indeed a crisis at the level of South Korea’s national security? A possible launching of Taepodong was a well-publicized fact. Nonetheless, the Defense Ministry did not make any call for a national emergency. In fact, not just Korea but all the nations involved chose not to call for an emergency. For it was not aimed at any particular party. Even if someone for a political reason wants to drum up this incident towards a national emergency, it is merely a political maneuver and cannot be made into an emergency situation in terms of national security.

The position of South Korea is even more so. Nothing positive would come out of increasing tension on the Korean Peninsula or worsening inter-Korea relations and it does not help in any way resolve the nuclear or missile problems. There is no point in making a political calculation or using this incident as an excuse for a further strengthening of armaments. There is no reason to particularly make a fuss in early morning as Japan did. On the other hand, there is an obvious reason to act otherwise. It was that we should not cause the public to feel unsafe by making an unnecessary fuss. Accordingly, we responded gradually without raising a voice.

To be fair, I’ll also link to the July 5 Cheong Wa Dae briefing in which the presidential office actually made the effort to look upset at the North.

And I’ll ask it again: is the Foreign Ministry being consulted prior to the release of these statements, or are President Roh’s political hacks doing a bit of independent foreign policy making?

UPDATE 2: The NYT’s Norimitsu Onishi writes about the South Korea public’s seeming lack of concern about North Korea’s recent missile tests (HT to Lost Nomad). How’s this for quality locker room bulletin board material?:

Washington’s opposition to engagement has stirred anti-American feelings here and a belief among some that the United States is standing in the way of reconciliation and eventual reunification.

“North Korea is an independent country, so why shouldn’t they be able to fire missiles?” said Kim Yung Reoul, 36, a pastor. “It’s remarkable — they’ve confronted the United States. I felt quite satisfied. I felt as if I’d finally digested something that I had trouble digesting.”

You know, I could say that nothing would help my digestion more than to see Washington cut through all this bullshit and announce a complete withdrawal of USFK by the end of the year and a rewriting of the Korea-U.S. mutual defense pact.

UPDATE 3: HE SPEAKS!

President Roh, speaking to Uri Party leaders and lawmakers at Cheong Wa Dae, said comments by Japanese leaders concerning “preemptive strikes” had created a “new situation,” and he expressed concern that they make things worse.

He said, “Japan’s attitude could create a serious situation for peace in Northeast Asia, as revealed by the inclusion of Dokdo in Japanese textbooks ™, visits to the Yasukuni Shine ™ and the issue of registering undersea place names near Dokdo ™.”

Roh also said he “couldn’t understand at all” North Korea’s decision to test missiles, and that the launches had created many difficulties in trying to manage the North Korean nuclear issue.

He worried that the missile tests and Japanese statements may have created a barrier to the government’s continuous efforts to prevent the use of force on the Korean Peninsula.

About the Korea-U.S. relationship, he said that while the two sides might have differences of opinion, they are reconciling and managing those differences as they move foward (you can stop laughing now).

He also said dialogue with the North Koreans would continue, and it was only through continuous dialogue with Pyongyang that the people would feel secure.

Uri Party chairman Kim Geun-tae said North Korea’s missile launches were “clearly a mistake and provocations” that required bipartisan action. But he said that “for the future of the Korean people,” dialogue with the North must not be suspended.

He also also said it was appropriate for the president to raise issue with Japanese hardliners, and that one had to be concerned that they were using the missile launches as an opportunity to rearm.

Uri Party policy committee chairman Kang Bong-gyun wondered whether North Korea’s missile tests, given how irrational a choice they were, weren’t a provocation by hardliners in the North Korean military. He said the government needed to take a firm attitude with the North, but he also noted that it was “undesirable” for Japan to threaten the peace in Northeast Asia. He said security was possible only with strong cooperation with the United States.

Some other lawmakers getting quoted in the Yonhap piece if you care to read it.