Monday, February 24, 2003
AS COLIN POWELL MAKES HIS WAY TOWARD SOUTH KOREA, Roh Moo-hyun continues to make it clear that he will not simply follow the American line on North Korea:
Interesting times ahead! Of course conservatives in South Korea are less tha pleased:
Mr. Roh has given strong indications that he intends to accelerate South Korea's embrace of North Korea, even as the United States looks for ways to ratchet up pressure on North Korea.
To the dismay of Washington, Mr. Roh has spoken in recent weeks of establishing an economic community with North Korea, stepping up trade, aid and investment there, ruling out economic sanctions and military strikes against the country and even of personally "guaranteeing" North Korea's security.
The president-elect said he would replace the current armistice agreement with a treaty between the Koreas in order to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"It is better to struggle than to suffer deaths in a war," Mr. Roh said in a speech to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. "Koreans should stand together, although things will get difficult when the United States bosses us around."
Interesting times ahead! Of course conservatives in South Korea are less tha pleased:
A senior South Korean diplomat said: "It looks like Roh is prepared to throw the alliance away and make common cause with North Korea. We don't understand why he seems to trust North Korea so completely."
