The Defense Ministry allowed some Christian groups to light a gigantic Christmas tree-shaped tower near the inter-Korean border Sunday. It reflected Seoul’s displeasure with Pyongyang’s launch of a long-range rocket 10 days ago. Every year-end, whether to light the massive steel tower, which Pyongyang regards as propaganda warfare, has been perceived as a barometer of conditions between the two Koreas.
Given this is a delicate time of power transition here, the government should have thought twice before giving the go-ahead for this year’s event. After all, had President Lee Myung-bak and his aides been that thoughtful in the first place, the relationship between the two Koreas would not have been as dismal as it is now.
And this explains why President-elect Park Geun-hye and her national security and diplomacy team should be prudent in the upcoming two months or so in setting the tone for inter-Korean relations over the next five years.
It is reassuring in this regard that many experts of Korean affairs both at home and abroad are voicing cautious optimism about Park’s handling of the matter, as former U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Donald Gregg opined in his contribution to The Korea Times on Monday. We agree with the one-time U.S. mission chief here. Of course, any president would be better than the outgoing one regarding inter-Korean affairs and all major candidates have vowed to be more open to inter-Korean dialogue than Lee.
From a more positive standpoint, Park’s greatest strength is her conservative mandate. At times, a conservative leader can make a better reformer than a progressive one, because the former can win the understanding of his or her supporters and persuade them in the face of resistance. This should be true not only for economic reforms but also in finding breakthroughs in the frozen relationship between the Koreas.
Park already experienced an informal inter-Korean summit of sorts when she met with the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2001 as the special envoy of then President Kim Dae-jung, during which the two reportedly confirmed sincerity and reliability in each other. True, the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, a staunch anti-communist, drew the line at pursuing rapprochement with the North while campaigning. She first wants to see Pyongyang apologize for two West Sea provocations and make tangible moves toward denuclearization.
But Park needs to be more flexible in sticking to her preconditions after taking office, for at least two reasons. First, the diplomatic horizon of Korea’s next leader should not be confined to the Korean Peninsula but expanded to all of Northeast Asia and the world. The incumbent leader has had some ostensible diplomatic successes on the global stage, which were outshone by his failure in most crucial diplomacy on this divided peninsula, which strained relations with nearby Asian neighbors. The incoming president should be different.
Second, the new administrations in both the United States and China can hardly afford to pay much attention to the Korean Peninsula, providing precious opportunities for Seoul to reshape the inter-Korean relationship.
Park can leave an indelible legacy on the nation’s history. She must make a bold initiative to turn the armistice into a peace regime, and persuade the recalcitrant, distrustful North. What’s needed of Park, known for her realism and decisiveness, is flexibility and perseverance.
The president-elect could start by asking Lee to turn out the lights at the controversial tower.