President Lee Myung-bak has apologized for his government’s “lack in efforts to sound out public opinion” and “negligence in carefully reading the public’s mind” concerning US beef.
He also noted, however, his disappointment concerning the rumor-mongering that took place:
But, to be honest, the Government was baffled by the spread of unfounded rumors about mad cow disease. Among other things, my heart ached when I saw even young students come out to stage candlelight vigils at the very Cheonggyecheon Plaza, which I worked with all my heart, mind and soul to restore. Their parents must have worried so much about them.
Yes, I’m sure they did.
Anyway, the opposition isn’t buying the apology:
“President Lee should persuade President Bush to open renegotiations, rather than trying to persuade the Korean people,” said Choi In-kee, chief policymaker of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).
Choi said the Bush administration should also take note of the fact that a majority of Koreans strongly oppose the import of meat from American cattle aged 30 months. Without renegotiation, the current anti-American beef campaign might spawn anti-U.S. sentiment, he added.
Anti-US sentiment? Oh no, not that!
Personally, I have no problem with renegotiating the beef deal… just as long as the United States can renegotiate parts of the FTA regarding Korean cell phone imports, especially in light of the potential health hazard posed by said handsets. Heck, Americans are genetically more susceptible to brain tumors from Korean cell phones — I know because I read it on the Internet.
PS: I’ve been a tad busy, so I haven’t had the chance to question Ambassador Vershbow’s decision to call up UDP chairman Sohn Hak-kyu to complain about his party’s handling of the beef deal. Sure, Sohn and his party have been a bunch of wankers, but since when did diplomats start calling up local politicians to bitch?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Personally I think LMB should have held off implementing any part of the FTA until the Senate gives their approval for ratification… which will be never (and thus why he shouldn’t implement any part of it). At any rate I will laugh my ass off when the democrats take the presidency and house and imposes further trade barriers…
Someone in Washington needs to call up Vershbow and explain that when you’re the American ambassador in a country, (1) there are no private conversations on the phone, and (2) you stay away from opposition politicians and remember that YOU ARE THERE TO TALK TO THE GOVERNMENT. These are so basic that no one at any embassy really has to be told, but…well it looks like he has to be told.
Makes you wonder if this was a Friday night couple-too-many-beers call.
Since when was it normal to station troops in a foreign country for more than 60 years? He would not be the first US ambassador to the ROK to act in a manner regarded as improper for diplomatic personnel to a sovereign state. And as a reminder of the special relationship that the US and the ROK have, the latter has not always behaved diplomatically in the US either.
The Democrats taking over the White House and the Congress portends all manner of shenanigans harmful to American interests (I can’t wait until Tricare and the VA hospital system becomes the model for all Americans’ health care!), but a dose of reciprocal trading relations would be good for the long-term health of the US-Korea relationship and the development of the ROK generally.
With the US getting rid of its Trade Promotion Authority (i.e., no more “fast track approval” of trade bills), you can pretty much call the Korea-US FTA dead. So, no more incentive for Korea to open its market to US beef and everyone can go back to protesting America for whatever other reason they had before.
Diplomatic protocol? . . .
In my opinion, the call would have been more like this.
ring…ring…
Sohn Hak-kyu: Yoboseyo
V: Do you have any Prince Albert in a can?
Sohn Hak-kyu: Yobeseyo?
V: Mooooooooooo….
Sohn Hak-kyu: Yobeseyo!
‘click’
‘V’ for Vendetta . . .
The Sohn/Vershbow conversation, appropriate or not, never should have seen the light of day. However, you’d think the ambassador has been here long enough to know better than to believe that a supposedly private conversation with a Korean politician isn’t going to find its way into the public realm.
As with the Colombia FTA, the trade barriers to be removed are on the Korean side. Great foot-shooting work by Pelosi & crew.
“2) you stay away from opposition politicians and remember that YOU ARE THERE TO TALK TO THE GOVERNMENT. These are so basic that no one at any embassy really has to be told, but…well it looks like he has to be told.”
This ain’t true among democracies, whose diplomats will maintain wide contacts with all respectable figures in host countries. (We can debate the respectability of Sohn & co). An exception would be at election time, when a dip would want to avoid any perception of playing favorites.
As a US taxpaper, I would want Vershbow to focus on speaking with responsible ADULTS, whose ranks appear very thin in the UDP.
Comment #7
LMAO
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