Comments on: Pres. Roh Cancels Summit with Pres. Bush

By: mcnut

mcnut — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:31:17 +0000

Who cares?

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:42:00 +0000

Isn’t the situation meaningless in either case anyway? We have a pragmatically meaningless photo-op on one side (KJI), and meeting between two people who are, frankly, politically castrated within their own country. At least there’s some symbolic meaning in the former.

Meaningless in either case, but at least Roh wouldn’t have needed to bring a basket of goodies, a blank check, and a host of concessions to his host in Washington.

By: mins0306

mins0306 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:27:29 +0000

What would they talk about?

I don’t know but it looks like Bush may want to have few words with Roh. According to the Chosun, it was Bush who invited Roh over to the White House.

By: austin

austin — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:53:15 +0000

What would they talk about?
Bush: “I’m more popular than you!”
Noh: “Are not!”
Bush: “Am too!”
Noh: “Are not”
yadda yadda yadda

By: bumfromkorea

bumfromkorea — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:24:16 +0000

Politically speaking (and domestic at that), a ‘historical’ meeting with KJI would be more beneficial to Roh than another meeting w/ Pres. Bush. I mean, Bush isn’t exactly a popular figure over at Korea (or for that matter, pretty much anywhere outside of Crawford, TX), and to Roh, meeting KJI would be MUCH better for his party in the upcoming election.

Isn’t the situation meaningless in either case anyway? We have a pragmatically meaningless photo-op on one side (KJI), and meeting between two people who are, frankly, politically castrated within their own country. At least there’s some symbolic meaning in the former.

By: mins0306

mins0306 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:50:45 +0000

Not having a final summit between two lame ducks probably isn’t such a big deal.

True, but let’s look at this from an another perspective. The Pres. of the ROK deciding not to visit the Pres. of the country’s most important ally so that he can have a photo op with the leader of the country that is more interested in what cash that his southern neighbor can offer instead of pursuing a constructive relationship. And all this for what? A legacy?

I guess an awkward and forced photo op

The summit between the two Koreas can also be considered as an “awkward and forced photo op”

By: globalvillageidiot

globalvillageidiot — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:27:45 +0000

Not having a final summit between two lame ducks probably isn’t such a big deal. There’s may not be any real political benefit in it for either party. (If there were, I suspect it would still be going ahead.) It would certainly have been less expensive than a summit with the North is going to end up being. Anyway, I guess an awkward and forced photo op in Sydney will have to suffice.

Warren, it is supposed to be the fat man’s turn to come to South Korea. Then again, transparency and reciprocity were also supposed to be integral aspects of the Sunshine Policy, if I’m not mistaken…

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:11:02 +0000

“Whatever the case, it’s not a good move by the S. Korean government.”

The path generally taken.

Is anyone surprised that blood lines trumps common sense?”

Besides, isn’t it Kim, Jong-Il’s turn to come to S.Korea? Why won’t he come and be photographed on Yoido or in Kangnam to prove to his people how decrepit South Korea’s economy has become?

By: tmc1233

tmc1233 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:56:23 +0000

Dumb-da-dumb-dumb-dumb. Anything to try and whip up Corean pride and pander to fat boy up north.