hankyoreh

which point to deeper problems within the administration.

A mishandling of a deal to resume import U.S. beef, the Japanese government’s renewed move to undermine South Korea’s ownership of the Dokdo islets, a change in Dokdo’s classification into “undesignated sovereignty” by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a diplomatic blunder surrounding the chairman’s statement at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Regional Forum and a stoppage in government-level talks with North Korea. Why has the administration of President Lee Myung-bak been in such disarray in the fields of foreign affairs and security and why has it failed to sort out the problems?

To begin, there have been a number of mishaps with appointments for key foreign affairs and security posts, which are filled with veteran diplomats and no experts in inter-Korean relations. Of the six key officials at a minister-level coordination meeting, the “Diplomacy and Security Policy Coordination Meeting,” four have had diplomatic careers: Foreign Minister Yoo Myung-hwan, Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Security Kim Sung-hwan and Director of the Office of the Prime Minister Cho Jung-pyo. The remaining two officials are Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee, a military general, and National Intelligence Service chief Kim Sung-ho, a former state prosecutor.

On July 28, a former high-ranking government official in the field of foreign affairs and security said, “In actuality, it’s difficult to coordinate foreign affairs and security policy without having a strategic vision and without deliberating on North Korea policy. The incumbent administration’s bias in personnel appointments has reached a serious level.”

The more serious problem is the apparent lack of teamwork and concerns about a possible collapse in policy coordination among the key officials in charge of foreign affairs and security. Foreign Minister Yoo, who presides over the Diplomacy and Security Policy Coordination Meeting, is busy handling things at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has little room for his role as head of the minister-level coordination meeting. For Yoo, this is partially because he and Unification Minister Kim began their diplomatic careers in the same year, government officials said. In Korea, social rules make it difficult for people beginning careers at the same time to give orders to one another later down the road. Kim, the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security, who should be playing the role of coordinator, is limited by the fact that he started his career after both the foreign and unification ministers, making him even less able to lead. In addition, a military source said, “(Defense) Minister Lee Sang-hee shuns intervention from others when it comes to military issues.”

A source who is familiar with internal affairs pointed out, “In many cases, no decisions are made at the Diplomacy and Security Policy Coordination Meeting. In addition, the secretarial offices of Cheong Wa Dae, or the Blue House, “have been more like branch offices of the foreign, unification, and defense ministries on foreign affairs and unification issues, rather than offices of policy coordination.”

In addition, the senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs and security at the Blue House, Kim Tae-hyo, has been described by some observers as “too conservative.” Kim has been considered a “hidden, close confidante” to President Lee since Lee’s presidential election campaign.

However, Kim Yeon-cheol, the head of The Hankyoreh Peace Research Institute, said, “After all, foreign affairs and security are part of the president’s agenda. Therefore, the core of the problem lies with President Lee.”

President Lee has been criticized for going against the previous administration of his predecessor, former President Roh Moo-hyun, a phenomenon described as “ABR,” or Anything But Roh. He has also received criticism for failing to come up with a vision and strategy for foreign affairs and security beyond his election pledges to strengthen alliance with the United States and implement his North Korea policy, known as Vision 3000: Denuclearization and Openness. In addition, President Lee’s micromanagement has been cited as another problem.

A former high-ranking government official said, “As the president has failed to provide a clear strategy and vision and clarify the authority and responsibility of his aides, people are in disarray and starting to go into self-preservation mode. The administration needs to swiftly improve its structure, which allows officials to avoid responsibility even if they’ve achieved less than favorable results.”

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