[Editorial] Chaos in S. Korea’s foreign and national security affairs

Posted on : 2009-04-20 13:20 KST Modified on : 2009-04-20 13:20 KST

The Lee Myung-bak administration has once again postponed its announcement of full participation in the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). This makes the third time it has set a date for an announcement only to change it, so there‘s no knowing whether it really plans to join PSI or not. It is enough to make you have doubts about whether or not there is a strategy, and if this is an administration that you can put trust in regarding the security and peace of the country and its people.

At a meeting, characterized by discord between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) and the Unification Ministry, hosted by South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on April 14, it was decided the announcement should be made on the following day. The Unification Ministry had wanted the government to ”proceed with care“ in lieu of the more immediate announcement date settled on by the Foreign Ministry.

In a meeting on April 15 of President Lee and some of his cabinet ministers, however, the date was postponed to April 19, with Lee siding with those calling for a more ”careful“ approach. Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) officials say one concern was for the effect an announcement could have on the situation regarding a Kaesong (Gaeseong) South Korean worker who is currently being held by North Korean authorities. Another concern included the sensitivity of any announcement made around April 15, the anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birthday, a public holiday named ”Day of the Sun.“

The April 19 announcement date was further postponed when on April 16 North Korea sent South Korean authorities an invitation to meet and talk in Kaeseong, indicating it had something important to say to Seoul. Regarding an April 18 meeting, also with Lee present, an official said, ”While we will on the one hand be firm on our principles, we need a comprehensive and strategic decision based on the situation.“

Announcements had previously timed to follow North Korea‘s April 5 attempt to launch a satellite, and then delayed to immediately follow the April 14 United Nations Security Council announcement.

Despite any confusion, the administration insists it is not announcing the decision on full participation in PSI as a response to North Korea’s rocket launch, and that it is not regarding Pyongyang‘s sentiments when it comes to the timing. The fact there is confusion about the government’s approach to PSI, however, is evidence enough that no matter how some may want to separate PSI from North Korea, the two are inevitably connected.

Just yesterday a spokesman for General Staff of the Ministry of People‘s Armed Forces said it would consider Seoul’s full participation in PSI a ”declaration of war“ and issued something close to a warning by saying, ”it should not be forgotten for a single moment that Seoul is just 50 kilometers from the demilitarized zone.“ Analysts say the statement reads as an attempt to both cause further problems for and confer all responsibility for heightened peninsular tensions to the South Korea whose government is already confused.

Some experts draw attention to the fact that South Korea first brought up PSI, something they suggested would not effectively mean anything more in securing stability, and would only provoke a countermeasure from North Korea. MOFAT has much responsibility to bear for ignoring international sentiments, which are moving from confrontation and coercion to an interest in dialogue and working together. Foreign Minister Yu and MOFAT have pushed ahead with the hard-line approach of joining PSI when the reality is that inter-Korean relations are always highly flammable.

This is contrary to the position he held during the administration of President Roh Moo-hyun, where he opposed joining PSI because of the possibility it could lead to armed clashes with North Korea. As President Lee‘s foreign minister, he is now serving as the vanguard calling for the need to participate in the PSI. As the head of the government’s foreign affairs and security policy coordination, Yu has overseen the administration‘s foreign affairs and security policies. It is for this reason he must be made to bear accountability for the confused state of South Korea’s policies.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]