The pivot continues

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Bernard Rowan

The pivot continues

Posted : 2023-09-04 16:35

Updated : 2023-09-04 16:44

By Bernard Rowan

Back in the Barack Obama era, the phrase "pivot to Asia" began to find currency. Washington's elite, and a good many of the non-elite, recognized the rise of China and her growing assertiveness in the Asian region. Kim Jong-un's playbook dropped images of trust and inconsistency to create a permanent problem. Other events made clear the need for organized pursuit of relations for common prosperity and the defense of freedom. The Cold War's period of "New World Order" had ended, and new world disorder seemed to be the norm. Slowly, our world's reorganization into two broad camps, which I refer to as the Alliances for Freedom and Autocracy, took shape.

In all of this, bringing together democratic nations committed to resisting autocracy began to take form. The outlines of Freedom's response to Autocracy's rise began through forums, relations and efforts. These continue and grow. Ranking high among them is the recent trilateral summit between South Korea, Japan and the United States at Camp David.

I'm aware, though a foreigner, how difficult the meeting struck many Koreans' sentiments and sympathies. South Koreans won't forget or paper over their history with Japan. It featured imperialism, tyranny, abuse of women and many other evils. Issues of concern, including Fukushima, wartime sex slavery and trade, continue as some contours of South Korea's relations with Japan. So too, the United States fought a bloody world war against Japan. The memory of Pearl Harbor is not gone.

However, Japan isn't today the same nation. It is no longer an autocratic nation. The realities of international power also need attention for any nation intent on practical appraisals of regional and international security. Japan and South Korea now share more in common than in conflict or disagreement, as do Japan and the U.S. Barack Obama's administration began to talk of pivoting to Asia. Joe Biden has taken the next step with this summit. While an agreement in principle, it's a significant continuation of the pivot. Yoon and Kishida show prudence and an eye to the peaceful future for their peoples, the region and the world.

The combined peace and military capacities of South Korea, Japan and the United States enable the Northeast Asia region to continue its deterrent posture. The summit should prompt and solidify trade and cooperation in the Alliance for Freedom and with nations willing to engage. The agreements in principle should stand as a significant sign to Kim Jong-un to avoid mischief. They're unlikely to stop the fetish of tests and slow immolation of North Korea at the bidding of her Soviet-style military state and stunted civil society. Russia and China, sadly, are happy to use Kim Jong-un as a flying buttress to their defense postures. However, life and freedom go on.

The "pivot to Asia" needs fuller architecture. It's implicit in the regional and international developments of the last decade. Australia, Vietnam, the Philippines, India (courting both sides in the Quad and BRICS) and other ASEAN nations are partners. The Alliance for Freedom must develop its rhetoric and alternatives with care and ambition. The allies must intone principles of autonomy and respect for difference. Freedom entails plural forms of democracy. This truth of Freedom finds expression in the trilateral summit and the histories of the three countries' relations. It's also important in the effort to capture the hearts and minds of nations and peoples skeptical at this point or seeking a different path.

The Korean people, I think, should be proud of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's efforts to further deepen peaceful, productive relations with the people and government of Japan. In no way do the agreements compromise South Korea's integrity and independence. Nor do they settle other matters of concern that need further work and diplomacy. Moving forward together on projects in the present will create positive energy for all concerned.

The Alliance for Freedom will develop a vision for engaging nations under autocracy. This is a wide task admitting of many possibilities and pitfalls. Forgoing the possibility only hardens the growing division. Offering a better course for countries that might wax autocratic is important. Indeed, this is true of the meeting that has just occurred itself.

Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.