Korea-US Summit Even More Disappointing Than Expected

After the third summit between Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Barack Obama, rival political parties here issued contrasting comments ― as usual.

The governing party praised the two leaders for reaffirming the solid alliance, moving closer to solving the North Korean nuclear issue and enhancing the foundation for bringing about peace on the Korean Peninsula. Opposition parties disparaged the meeting using terms ranging from ``disappointing" to ``full of rhetoric devoid of substance" and ``an event sticking to formalities with no beneficial results to national interests."

Barring politics, we stand beside President Lee's political opponents. The only news out of the Korea-U.S. summit was the specific date for the visit to Pyongyang by Steven Bosworth, President Obama's point man on North Korea. The prospects for even the much-trumpeted ``direct talks" ― the first since Obama took office ― are slim, being that Pyongyang and Washington are poles apart when it comes to their interests.

Even further darkening the nuclear outlook is the two leaders' failure to work out any improved ideas on ensuring some progress in the 15-year-long negotiations. The only difference from the past was Obama's formal support for the ``take-it-or-leave-it" decision on Pyongyang's denuclearization, which the U.S. President calls a "package solution" and Lee calls a ``grand bargain."

The U.S. President said he and Lee had agreed to break a ``pattern" of dealings with North Korea that in the past allowed the North to walk out on negotiations and then return for additional concessions. His aides describe it as ``buying the same horse for the second time."

One can hardly be sure whether a leader with extraordinary intelligence like Obama really thinks the numerous stop-and-go processes of nuclear talks were due entirely to North Korean recalcitrance and, even if so, the current either-or-not approach would make any difference in the recalcitrant regime's strategy.

Washington has either given greater priority between the two global nonproliferation issues to Iran, which has greater regional ripple effects, and put the North Korean case on the relative back burner or decided to take greater security risks in this part of the world. For the time being, most peace-loving Koreans will have their fingers crossed for a totally unexpected development, which sometimes happens in matters involving North Korea, such as an abrupt concession from either side or both, as the result of some behind-the-curtain bargaining.

Anyway, President Lee has won Washington's official seal of approval on his ``one-shot" formula, which North Korea regards as extremely unrealistic and little different from Lee's original proposal for ensuring per capita income of $3,000 in exchange for denuclearization.

In return, the Korean leader seems to have made even more of a concession on the economic front, as he said Korea was in the position to discuss the bilateral auto trade again ``if it becomes an issue" ― as if he were not aware it has long been one ― throwing the door open for the renegotiation of the bilateral trade agreement.

To sum up, the North Korean nuclear issue will remain as it is now ― at best ― and Seoul will back away further from the already controversial ``KORUS FTA," triggering political and social turmoil at home.

Washington had reportedly hinted at skipping Seoul from Obama's East Asian swing. Not a few Koreans might have wished they had done just that.