By Oh Young-jin
City Editor
As an avid subscriber of your letters to the masses since your presidential campaign days and ardent supporter of your cause of hope, I welcome you on your maiden visit to my country.
Following your previous two stops in Japan and China during your ongoing Asian swing, once again I feel assured that you are the "right person for the right job at the right time."
Why the right person?
The photo of your making a deep bow to the Japanese king is the answer.
It shows reverence by a young person to an old person, one of the most-cherished Asian customs.
By making such a gesture, you have successfully crossed the gulf in culture and brought yourself closer to Asians in general as well as Japanese. That will be the political capital at your disposal that can make a big difference in times of difficulty in dealing with the world's economic engine and new center of politics.
The previous U.S. heads of state visiting Asia ahead of you usually ended up as "oegugin," or foreigners, who upset buyers on their big sales trips because they were ignorant of the customs or, even worse, didn't bother to learn them in advance.
No wonder U.S. policy in Asia is now in tatters ― China rebelling, Japan balking and Korea second-guessing.
Of course, you had a leg up even before you started.
You preached a message of hope that resonated around the world when it was down and out. That message would have sounded empty, if you were not the messenger. You personify your message and testify to the lyrics of your national anthem because you have worked across the racial divide as the son of an African whose ancestors were rounded up, sent against their will on galleys and forced to work as slaves, to become the holder of the highest office in your country.
I believe that rarely at any time in U.S. history has any other leader possessed political capital equal to or greater than that of the nation, at least from a global perspective.
Why the right time?
First of all, U.S. power has declined. Whether it is a temporary lapse or the beginning of an end remains to be seen but it has no-one but itself to blame. For the past eight years, the U.S. had squandered its vast amount of political capital afforded by its status as the sole superpower and as the catalyst for bringing down the Berlin Wall. Its moral superiority was blown when it went to war with Iraq and invaded Afghanistan.
These policy blunders came in the context of China's rise, the realignment of Asian states and Europe's continued loss of coherence, accelerated by an assertive Russia.
Adding insult to injury is the global financial crisis brought about by greed in Wall Street, selling an impossible dream to denizens of the world as well as credulous American people in the deceitful form of derivatives.
To Americans, you represent a collective rescue effort to bring back a collapsing America from the brink of collapse, albeit you may feel frustrated to see so few thank-you notes and job-well-done pats on the back.
Simply put, America is in dire straits, having lost its moral compass and at times looking lost at sea over how it will be able to pick from where it left off in terms of leadership provision at a global level.
History rarely allows what-ifs but that would make hypotheses more interesting. What would the U.S. be like if John McCain had become president rather than you? Ask this question to Republican saboteurs, who are all-out to throw a spanner in the works on your every step of the way.
Why the right job?
Irrespective of how significantly U.S. power has waned, its presidency is powerful enough to bring about a significant change in the future course of the world.
The world needs a strong leader, which I believe will give a sense of direction to the world, because, as history shows, a multi-polar global order with a number of powers competing for hegemony leads to chaos and conflict.
A look at the world situation at present shows a number of flashpoints that threaten to erupt at any time. Iran is a headache; Russia nostalgic; Israel whining; Arabs defying; and North Korea crying for attention, among others.
As a Korean, perhaps it is natural that I ask for your attention on the North Korean conundrum but it may be a simpler issue than the Palestinians' hope for statehood, the Israelis' determination to build more settlements or Iran's nuclear defiance.
I believe that if one can solve the North Korea problem, it would lead to another resolution on another priority issue in one big chain reaction. That means that you should divert focus on this inter-Korean problem and push on with one good policy. A continued swing from one extreme to another during the Bush presidency when dealing with Pyongyang only worsened the situation.
Lastly, I know there are limits and possibilities in the power of one. In other words, one can only do so much but his or her power can be magnified exponentially by the collective of others. When you feel like giving up, think of those who supported your bid for the presidency. We are in the same boat and going in the right direction, as long as you are determined to stay on course.
Good luck and have a pleasant stay in Korea.