[INTERVIEW] An American youth aspiring to contribute to ROK-US relations

Jason Bartlett

By Hwang Jae-ho

The United States of America held midterm elections on the Nov. 6. The Democratic Party recaptured the House and the Republic Party held the Senate; therefore, one side can consider this as a win, a loss, or a tie.

After President Donald Trump was inaugurated into office two years ago, there have been, and still are, many changes occurring within the U.S. Black and white dichotomous conflicts emphasizing differences in values and norms are erupting on a national and international level.

The Korean Peninsula as well is experiencing its own surge of small and large conflicts. North Korean policy and the ROK―U.S. alliance are heavily dependent on President Trump's economic values. Therefore, could this lead to an unexpected change in the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance?

I met a young American man Jason Bartlett with great affinity toward South Korea this past week. He wanted to make a small, but meaningful contribution to the bright future of ROK-U.S. relations. Through his words, I saw a glimpse into the perception of today's American youth and how they view the future of ROK―U.S. relations.

Q: Could you please tell me about yourself first?

A: My name is Jason Bartlett and I was born on Long Island, New York, in 1993. I am an intern at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul within the research department, as well as continuing my Korean language studies at Yonsei University's Korean Language Institute. Back in the U.S., I am a master's candidate in Asian Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and I received the opportunity to study and work for one year in South Korea through the U.S. Department of States' National Security Boren Fellowship Program. After graduating, I plan to pursue a career in U.S.-ROK relations and international human rights laws applied to North Korea.

Q: Could you elaborate more on the U.S. Department of States' Fellowship?

A: The National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Fellowship is a U.S. federal government program offered through the Department of States that seeks to enhance the national security of the U.S. by increasing American students' capacity to understand and interact effectively with foreign cultures and languages.

Through a competitive, national, merit-based annual competition, successful applicants are chosen to pursue their academic and career goals abroad, while maintaining a strong commitment to public service and U.S. national security.

Following successful completion of one's program, recipients are required to work in qualifying national security positions for at least one year. NSEP aims to expand the pool of American youth skilled in foreign languages and international relations by involving participants in intensive and long-term language immersion programs abroad.

Q: How did your relationship with South Korea begin?

A: In the spring of 2014, I was an exchange student at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul for one semester to complement my undergraduate degree in international relations with Korean language courses, and a South Korean perspective on global politics and social issues.

I lived in a student dormitory on campus with a South Korean roommate who is now nothing less than a brother to me. Sharing the same age, religion, and genuine interest in each other's languages, we formed an inseparable bond that transformed my outlook on the world and what it means to be an active, positive contributor to the international community.

My Korean roommate visited me and my family back in New York two years after we met and now that I am back in South Korea, we meet often. I was embraced as an extension of his family as his little brother calls me "hyung", older brother, and I refer to his parents as "eomma" and "appa", "mom" and "dad" in Korean.

His grandparents also treat me with filial kindness often reserved for immediate family members, strengthening my love and appreciation for Korean people.

Q: How does it feel to be back in South Korea since then?

A: I have seen a dramatic transformation in how the general American public perceives South Korea. Once regarded as simply a neighboring country to the nuclear North, knowledge of South Korea's economic prowess and technological advances has permeated into American society not only through politics and the Olympic Games, but through mass media and entertainment such as K-pop and K-beauty.

I was shocked when I discovered BB Cream on the kitchen table of an American high school friend of mine or when my mother insisted that I start watching "Mr. Sunshine," a South Korean drama involving the end of the Chosen Dynasty and the battle for Korean independence and colonization between the U.S. and Japan.

I even came across a Facebook post from a past elementary school teacher of mine expressing her interest in the popular South Korean boy band BTS, Bangtan Sonyeondan, newest album. Despite seemingly strained political ties between the U.S. and South Korea, I believe that this new fascination in both South Korean pop culture through K-Pop and Korean history and society through dramas such as "Mr. Sunshine" has the potential to strengthen the human bond between the two nations in ways that politics tend to weaken.

Q: What are your thoughts on ROK-U.S. relations?

A: The inauguration of President Moon Jae-in last year was predicted to bring about major changes to the U.S.―ROK alliance and a possible divergence from the sociopolitical status quo of a pro-American public and a less-pro China, let alone anti-North Korea.

In terms of inter-Korea relations, President Moon's decision to resurrect former Kim Dae-Jung's vision under the Sunshine Policy by actively pursuing trust and confidence-building measures with the North was in fact a major shift in South Korean politics, consequently altering not only the South's relations with the U.S. but also its role within global politics.

Under the new administration, South Korea is no longer subscribed to the U.S. North Korea policy or the international community's decision to apply maximum pressure on North Korea as a response to increased nuclear provocation and gross human rights violations. Therefore, I believe there has been a significant change in U.S.―ROK relations with emphasis on the shift of geopolitical power within the Northeast Asian region.

It seems as if now South Korea, not the U.S., calls the shots in terms of establishing dialogue and negotiations with North Korea. The stark contrast between reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and postponing joint U.S.-ROK military exercises with a joint ROK-DPRK Olympic sports team under the unification flag is a prime example of a change within the alliance.

Q: What about ROK-China relations?

A: I am a firm believer that the Korean idiom,?"when whales fight, a shrimp's back is broken", is an accurate description of U.S.-ROK-PRC relations, despite the seeming shift of tides between North and South Korea.

Some claim that ROK―China relations only improve at the expense of estrangement from U.S. influence leading Koreans to question whether aligning with the U.S. was the correct decision. As South Korea's leading trading partner by a great margin, China's influential role within the South Korean economy warrants major concern if political relations take a turn for the worst.

Beijing's political retaliation to Seoul's acceptance of THAAD in 2016 demonstrated to the South Korean public how China's hypersensitivity to U.S. influence, despite Seoul's need to defend its citizens from possible nuclear or military attacks from the North, supersedes amicable ties with South Korea. Tourism, student exchange programs, inbound investment and trade, as well as export-driven sectors such as entertainment, cosmetics, automobiles, and electronics were heavily boycotted by the Chinese government, directly impacting the South's economy and the public's curiosity in pursuing a more pro-China policy.

Jason is now 25 years old. While he does enjoy Korean dramas and pop music for entertainment purposes, he intends to understand Korea's cultural soft power as a form of international politics. He speaks fluent Korean and through our interactions, I learned how he is a cultivated diplomatic talent and well-versed in the U.S. government's systematization of macro-foreign policies. He has a high level of personal interest and understanding of Korea, as well as great affection and expectation for ROK―U.S. relations.

However, he expresses concern regarding the ROK―U.S. alliance itself and changes in the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. I expect that his interest regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula will be directly applied to the future development of the ROK―U.S. alliance.

Hwang Jae-ho is director of the Global Security Cooperation Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul.