hankyoreh

On Jan. 7, Kim Jang-su, head of the national security subcommittee of Park Geun-hye’s the presidential transition team, made some grave remarks about the foreign affairs and national security policy of the next administration. Regarding an appropriate response to North Korea’s long-range missile launch, he said to a group of reporters, “We need to draw upon the help of the international community to implement a strategy of isolation that includes sanctions. Our only option is to receive the assistance of neighboring countries.”

Kim also revealed plans to move forward with early deployment of long-range ballistic missiles. The missiles’ range was increased to 800km in a revision of the US-South Korean missile guidelines last year. Both of these remarks indicate a hard-line stance toward North Korea.

There are two points here that compel us to take Kim’s statement seriously. First is the fact that Kim is on the foreign affairs defense and unification subcommittee, which oversees president-elect Park’s foreign affairs and national security policies. Second is the fact that the comments were made despite the gag order put in place by Kim Yong-jun, chairperson of the transition committee. Since Kim Jang-su took these things into account before making the comments, it is no stretch to infer that his words represent Park’s actual intentions.

However, Kim’s statements do not line up with the “Korean trust process” that Park pledged during her campaign to become president. The crux of the trust process that Park outlined was criticism of the Lee Myung-bak administration’s tendency to pressure the North.

Park even went so far as to say that she was willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without any preconditions if it would help restore trust between the North and South.

Obviously, Park needs to explain how the policy of isolating the North that Kim described is related to her process of establishing trust. That is the only way to prevent misunderstanding in neighboring countries.

But even aside from these points, when viewed in the light of the international political situation, Kim’s comments reflect a lack of careful thought. US president Barack Obama has nominated Senator John Kerry and former senator Chuck Hagel to be the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense in his second term, and both of them are in favor of engagement with the North. They have both spoken of the need for direct dialogue with North Korea, despite its provocative acts.

While South Korea takes the lead in policy toward the North, the reality is that little can happen without close cooperation and support from the US. Furthermore, Kim Jong-un, who is now entering the second year of his regime, indicated the possibility of reconciliation by focusing on dialogue in his New Year’s address.

It remains unclear whether Kim Jang-su took these subtle political considerations into account before blurting out his hard-line comments about the North. If he failed to consider such things, it is hard not to conclude that he has a far too blinkered viewpoint for one who is in charge of foreign affairs and national security policy.

Government policy on matters such as these determines the fate of the nation. They cannot rely on military logic alone, which is based on fighting with and subjugating an opponent. Policy makers need strategy and wisdom to guarantee national security while also being flexible enough to respond to fluctuations in the political mood in neighboring countries. It is troubling that Kim only seems to view North Korean policy from the perspective of the Minister of Defense.

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