hankyoreh

The ruling Grand National Party and main opposition Democratic Party have been waging a battle over a statement made by DP floor leader Park Jie-won, who quoted Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping as saying that the “Lee Myung-bak administration is a disruptor of peace on the Korean Peninsula.” Park claims that Xi used the term “disruptor of peace” in May while criticizing the foreign policy of the South Korean government to former President Kim Dae-jung, who was visiting China at the time. The Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) and ruling party are saying that the records of the meeting drafted by South Korean foreign ministry attendees show no mention of the statement.
It is a well-known fact that China has been expressing its displeasure with the Lee administration’s foreign policy. According to sources such as former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, who also attended the meeting, there was indeed a remark similar to what Park reported. The responsible approach would be for the Lee administration and Grand National Party (GNP) to take this opportunity for some serious reflection on the current state and problem areas of South Korea-China diplomacy. Indeed, it is rather extraordinary for a figure set to become the next leader of China to make explicit mention of problem areas with South Korean foreign policy. Whether or not he used the specific expression “disruptor” is incidental. Yet the Cheong Wa Dae not only is refuting Park’s statement, it is attempting to paint it as a “fifth column act,” in which an individual or group acts traitorously and subversively out of a secret sympathy with an enemy of their country. Such language was rare even during the era of military governments. This sort of behavior is also severely misguided in that it constitutes an attempt to forcibly shut down policy debate and criticism.
South Korea-China relations have been struggling severely since the Lee administration took office. A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry has overtly criticized Seoul’s diplomatic approach, and China’s state-run media have questioned whether South Korea is not attempting to join the siege against the country. This is a reaction to the Lee administration’s decision to abandon balanced diplomacy and rely exclusive on the United States, while taking a light view of China. It is not at all desirable to breed this kind of discord with a country that not only is South Korea’s largest trading partner but has also risen to become a heavyweight in international politics.
A few days ago, in an attempt to minimize the conflict between South Korea and China, the foreign ministry announced plans to step up its diplomatic efforts with the country. It is fortunate that the ministry has acknowledged the problem, however belatedly. But measures such as increasing the number of employees handling China matters at the ministry and creating a South Korea-China friendship association are merely secondary. It is more important to make large-scale modification in the diplomatic tenor at the policy-maker level. At present, however, no signs of any such activity have been detected. It is therefore even more pathetic to see the ruling party attacking an opposition party floor leader’s statement as a “fifth column act.”

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