By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Presidential candidate Chung Dong-young of the United New Democratic Party (UNDP) said a strengthened Korea-U.S. alliance would be the focus of his foreign policy if he wins the election on Dec.19.
In an exclusive interview with The Korea Times on the occasion of its 57th anniversary Sunday, the anchor-turned-candidate advocated the U.S.-centered foreign policy. He said a more dynamic Seoul-Washington alliance was necessary to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to help improve the U.S.-North Korea relations.
He said in an unwavering tone that the U.S. troops in Korea should remain stationed here as a stabilizing influence in Northeast Asia.
Chung said the time has come for the two countries to chart a more future-oriented dynamic alliance. He added that the alliance was not maintained only by rhetoric, saying it will be maintained and strengthened only when the two sides have mutual trust and confidence and transparency in sharing information.
``I can dare to say that I commanded trust from Washington when I was the unification minister in 2005. As the minister, I shared all core information on North Korea with the United States in a frank way. This led to the upgrading of our mutual confidence,'' said the liberal candidate.
But ``my U.S.-oriented foreign policy does not mean that my administration, if elected, will belittle the influence of China, Japan and Russia surrounding the Korean Peninsula. As members of the six-party talks, they are quite important for Korea,'' he added.
Despite his unwavering pro-U.S. stance, he said he rejects the idea of ``blind worship of or servile attitude to the United States'' often called flunkeyism.
``I don't think Washington will expect toadyism or one-sided concessions from Korea. When we are straightforward and frank in our position, Washington will respect us,'' he said in a firm tone.
The 54-year-old advocate of Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy of engaging with North Korea said it is wrong to portray him as ``anti-American'' just because he opposes the extension of the Zaytun unit in Iraq.
``President Roh Moo-hyun should keep the promise he made a year ago to the people to withdraw the troops this year," the nominee said.
He expects Roh to support him he said he was quite different from Roh although ``we have basically the same roots in philosophy and legitimacy.''
But he said his relationship with the people were more important than those with President Roh. ``I will step closer to the people and enter their minds. That's my priority.''
``If elected, I will inherit and develop the positive legacy of the two previous liberal administrations but I will also seek ways of retooling their trials and errors,'' he said.
``If elected, my administration will be different from the two predecessors.''
``Opposition parties call for the change of government. But under the current presidential system of government, a change of leader means the inauguration of a different government,'' he said.
He made it clear that he is different from Roh. ``We have differences in philosophy. Roh was in charge of eradicating the remnants of old times.''
``If we win the election, we will build up the Republic of Korea which combines the minds of the people into one,'' he said, saying his administration will be the ``Government of Unity,'' embracing industrialists, as well as pro-democracy fighters
``I will maximize the achievements Roh and Kim have made for the past 10 years, while overcoming some limits in a creative manner,'' said Chung.
He said Roh could not inject vitality into the economy as he was surrounded by bureaucrats.
``For the past 10 years, the bureaucratic way of thinking has produced limits in mapping out and implementing economic policies. ``Repentance over it and a new start are needed.''
He was confident that he will be able to become the unified anti-Lee Myung-bak candidate. He said voters have overcome regionalism but politicians still lag behind the people in overcoming this.
He said he was fundamentally different in his roots and philosophy from the Grand national Party's presidential candidate Lee. He described Lee as a pro-chaebol, pro-rich, advocate of outdated ``hardpower'' like building canals and was a proponent of brutal jungle capitalism. No country in the world including Thailand has been successful by having a profit-seeking business CEO as head of state, he said.
On the economy, Chung said ``soft power'' should be introduced to help the nation step forward as an advanced country.
He said he wants to be portrayed as a symbol of unity, and an advocate of a knowledge-based wealth society, small-and medium-sized enterprises and an aerospace renaissance.
As a university major in history, he said history develops under the action and reaction of the so-called thesis, antithesis and synthesis. He said his presidency would be a time of synthesis.
Chung noted that only when people want a revision of the Constitution, would he be willing to talk about it. But people have little interest in the Constitution, rather they have an interest in the economy, he said.
But if a constitutional revision is made, he wants ``the public concept in the ownership of land to be added.'' Also the new Constitution should stipulate that people have the ``right to make a decent living environment,'' meaning that the state should curb property speculation and actively intervene in providing decent homes for the people.