hankyoreh

President Yoon Suk-yeol gives a congratulatory address at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy at the academy in Seoul on Sept. 1. (Yonhap)

On Friday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol lambasted his political critics and others concerned about his foreign policy bias toward the US and Japan.

“Communist totalitarian forces, their opportunistic followers, and anti-state forces are inciting anti-Japanese sentiment and misrepresenting the cooperative arrangement we reached with the US and Japan at Camp David as something that will endanger the Republic of Korea and the Korean people,” Yoon said.

“Our current freedoms are constantly under threat,” Yoon said while delivering a message to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the at the Korean National Diplomatic Academy establishment.

Yoon’s fusillade implied that “communist totalitarian forces” or “anti-state forces” lie behind criticism of his administration for adopting a foreign policy that’s biased toward the US and Japan without first canvassing public opinion.

Yoon also appears to have been venting his spleen about groups that have slammed his response to the Japanese government’s release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

In the same message, Yoon asserted the need to further orient Korea’s foreign policy on the US and Japan.

“We need to build an even stronger cooperative network in the areas of national security, the economy, information technology, and cutting-edge technology with countries that share the universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law and with countries that respect the rules-based international order. An ambiguous foreign policy line means the absence of values and philosophy. A foreign policy that cannot be predicted by our counterparts is unable to either achieve credibility or serve the national interest,” the Korean president said.

President Yoon Suk-yeol enters an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy flanked by Foreign Minister Park Jin (left) and the academy’s chancellor, Park Cheol-hee. (Yonhap)

Yoon’s comments appear to represent criticism of the foreign policy of previous administrations that have sought to serve the national interest by maintaining strategic ambiguity and not adopting a hostile stance toward China or Russia. His comments also imply that he means to continue increasing cooperation with the US and Japan going forward.

“President Yoon feels wholly uncomfortable with being the only country bordering a communist and totalitarian state. He intends to keep sending messages about instilling values. He seeks not to divide the public but to establish the correct ideas,” a source at the presidential office told the Hankyoreh.

But experts point to the dangers of Yoon’s stubborn adherence to his current course.

“The very fact that Yoon views everyone who criticizes his policies on Japan’s contaminated water, historical issues, and the US and Japan as being dupes of communist propaganda is itself worrisome,” said Moon Heung-ho, dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at Hanyang University.

“Considering that flexibility is the hallmark of foreign policy, the president’s emphasis on ideology and exclusion of differing opinions in regard to his foreign policy agenda not only subordinates foreign policy to domestic politics but also makes it hard to devise a pragmatic foreign policy,” Moon added.

“Even the US, which Yoon regards as the model of foreign policy, takes a pragmatic approach to foreign policy when the national interest is at stake. Considering that we’re nowhere near as strong as the US, insisting on excessive purity in our foreign policy isn’t the best idea. The ideal foreign policy is to effectively manage and minimize elements that are harmful to Korea while bolstering the credibility of the alliance,” said Hong Hyun-ik, former chancellor of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy.

Yoon held a separate town hall meeting Friday with 38 new candidates for diplomatic posts.

By Bae Ji-hyun, staff reporter; Jang Ye-ji, staff reporter

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