The fixation on fast-track authority and a Democratically-controlled Senate perhaps has distracted us from this real possibility.

As for Roh’s comments, when I read them this morning, I had to ask myself, “why didn’t you see this coming?”

Roh’s upsides of this change in tack:
1) exert some leverage (though not a lot, I think) on the negotiations;
2) having devoted a decent portion of the little political capital he has left on this, provide for a face-saving exit should the negotiations break-down (which I think is not as unlikely as the media treatment would seem to suggest).

On the other hand, to cynically borrow a name used above, this might be nothing more than typical Roh “bipolar mindscrew.”

Note that will be (rightfully) deleted by Oranckay.

I’ll have to write a sticky note beside my desk I have to see as I use the internet..

All three major dailies in Korea- Chosun, Joongang, Donga- are conservatives, as are the majority of Koreans. How else could they remain in business for long periods as major papers, if the general public don’t support their views?

The reason why the sounds of “the mass” and the media, at least the paper one, seem differ is because those on the left of the political spectrum in Korea tend to make thuggish noises in the streets by bringing thousands of students who don’t have clear ideas about what they believe in.

Noh’s comment “time for korea to stop clinging to america’s crotch and hiding behind its ass.”
was reported some months ago when his administration was finalising the agreement to bring back the wartime military command from the US. I think he said to mean that Korea shouldn’t rely on America for its defence, very much like what Kim JI would say.

I look at every dlatn comment today or ever and wonder why this person wasn’t banned long ago.

What white noise? Honestly, if you hate the comments this much, why bother clicking the link and/or scrolling down?

Every comment above #17 was discussing the FTA and Roh’s position on it…….gee wiz….

slim - hurray for mercantilism, I say. The US and Russia/China fought their proxy war (the Cold War) in many ways around the world. In Africa, they just put small arms into everyone’s hands and let them kill each other. In Latin America, they built up murderous military strongmen. In Cuba they almost killed us all. In Vietnam and Korea they fuelled civil wars. Seems to me a few decades of blatant mercantilism to help a client state build up its capital after decades of devastation was a fairly good call.

Of course, it had the unfortunate effect of leaving modern Koreans with the impression that mercatilism is a viable long-term economic strategy….pity, that.