Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Asan Institute honorary chairman commemorates late US defense secretary
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld speaks in front of a satellite map of the Korean Peninsula at night during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Oct. 11, 2006. Rumsfeld died on Tuesday at age 88. Reuters-Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
Chung Mong-joon, honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, leaves the funeral hall of the late former KCC Honorary Chairman Chung Sang-young at Asan Hospital in Songpa District, Seoul, Jan. 31. Yonhap
Chung Mong-joon, honorary chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, commemorated the late former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who died on Tuesday at age 88.
In an English-language letter released by the institute, Chung described him having “an insight that had accurately predicted the present situation” surrounding South Korea 10 years ago, and “a friend who has been most helpful” to the country.
“I was planning to visit the United States and meet him after the pandemic subsided,” Chung wrote. “When I heard the news of his passing, I felt I lost a friend who has been most helpful to my country.”
Rumsfeld served as secretary of defense for two U.S. presidents ― Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977 and George W. Bush from 2001 to 2007. He is known as the architect of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and a hawk who stressed the importance of power to keep peace.
Chung recalled his 2011 meeting with Rumsfeld in Washington, D.C., during which they had a long conversation on the political circumstances in Northeast Asia. At the time, Chung was a lawmaker of the Saenuri Party, which is now the People Power Party of Korea.
“In an interview at the time, he said, 'I do not think the North Korean regime will give up its nuclear weapons' and emphasized that 'We need power to keep the peace,'” Chung wrote in his letter. ”And then he argued, 'If I were a South Korean, to have the power to persuade or deter North Korea, I would want the government to become stronger by investing more in defense spending.'”
Chung wrote that Rumsfeld 10 years ago already had a precise vision of the current relations between the U.S. and China. He quoted Rumsfeld saying “China will not pose a military threat to the United States, but it will pose a potential threat to the world” and “the majority of democratic countries located around China must work together to ensure that China does not act coercively.”
Recalling the conversation, Chung wrote Rumsfeld was “by nature a calm person” and had a “good sense of humor.”
“As someone who had served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense twice and had been concerned with conflicts large and small around the world, he seemed to be at ease,” Chung wrote. “It was impressive that he was not trapped by the circumstances while looking at the reality calmly.”
According to Chung, the conversation he had with Rumsfeld is in Chung's book titled, “Communications with Leaders of the World,” which is always on his desk.
Chung is a businessman and politician, who is the controlling shareholder of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group and a former seven-term lawmaker.