Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' publisher and president. He began to work at The Korea Times in 1988 as a sports writer. Then, he worked as a reporter and later as editor at the City Desk, Business Desk and Politics Desk. He worked as chief editorial writer before taking the current position. He has a keen interest in politics as well as defense affairs.
Minister Kang: our best Joan of Arc for now
Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita bows to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha when he was called for Korea to protest about his country's quarantine measure. Korea Times
By Oh Young-jin
By Oh Young-jin
“Slapping travel restrictions on Koreans entering foreign countries is as domestic an affair as the Korean government is protesting about it.”
This is what one foreign ambassador stationed in Seoul told me regarding Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha's forlorn, thankless campaign to stem the tide of countries blocking Koreans from setting foot on their soil lest they bring the ongoing coronavirus epidemic into their midst.
The interpretation is that the world is as scared as ever and is doing whatever it can to keep itself from harm's way, whether it is Kang's remarks or anybody else's. In other words, it is a domestic affair.
Kang surely knows the futility of making phone calls or holding meetings, but would have to do it anyway because its main purpose is to convey to the domestic audience that the country is doing something.
World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweets about his conversation with Minister Kang. Korea Times
In politics as many other aspects in public life, perception is as important as or more important than reality, and perception and reality often turn out to be two sides of the same coin.
By this standard, Kang is doing her best, which is perhaps and at least for now the most the nation can expect from her in this time of crisis.
Imagine if we had not responded as we have done to Japan's virtual entry ban on Koreans.
Japan unilaterally blocked Koreans from entering, citing the fear of contagion because Korea was second only to China in the number of confirmed cases. Japan's priority was to prevent the coronavirus from spreading further and save the Tokyo Olympics. Kang threatened to retaliate.
Korea retaliated by revoking the no visa entry privilege for Japanese. Following Korea's action, the World Health Organization said that the tit-for-tat was unhelpful in the global coronavirus fight. China, which Japan grouped with Korea on its short list of entry bans, responded by saying that it understood Tokyo's decision. It was a cool response in contrast to Kang's hot response.
Minister Kang adjusts her face mask during a Cabinet meeting. Korea Times
Kang called in Japanese ambassador Koji Tomita to protest, and a photo of the envoy bowing to the minister appeared on front page of many newspapers. But bowing is typical way of greeting in Asia ― it therefore does not mean Tokyo was apologizing.
Kang wanted to send a strong message that Korea was indignant about Japan's move when she received the visit rather than letting her deputy do it as is usual. Of course, her message was intended for domestic consumption more than for Japan or Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Even conservative media outlets critical of the progressive Moon Jae-in government or Kang did not praise her but stopped short of taking an issue with her Japan action. In Korea, where a history-based rivalry with Japan runs deep, doing anything less than reciprocal carries a big political risk. What Kang did with Japan is prudent enough to keep the nation from getting further divided at this challenging time ahead of the April general elections.
Kang is under fire for her handling of Thailand and Vietnam.
The foreign minister said Bangkok made a positive assessment about Korea's handling of the infections during her March 5 call with her Thai counterpart. But five days later on March 10, Thailand changed its stance suddenly and demanded that a Korean traveler provide a certificate for a negative test result and an anti-infection insurance policy.
During the March 5-10 period, Korea had an explosive increase in the number of cases as mass infections among members of the religious sect Shincheonji Church of Jesus unfolded. Thailand was left with few other choices than self-protection measures to tighten entry procedures against Koreans. It is unfair to blame Kang.
Korea was also caught off guard when Vietnam disapproved the landing of Korea's Asiana flight without prior notice, forcing it to go back to Korea. And Indonesia's demand for Korean visitors to submit an all-clear health certificate in English may have infuriated Koreans, highlighting the foreign ministry's alleged failure to get informed about other countries' actions in advance.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Those countries did what they thought served their best interests.
Kang took flak for saying that her counterparts of the countries that heightened their entry criteria for Koreans told her that their poor health system was the reason for their regretful action.
“We are not a pariah,” she protested, hitting back at allegations that half the world is restricting Koreans' traveling and that Korea is isolated from the outside.
Let's spare her our usual beefing for a while. We are living in abnormal times. Let her do her job. She is our best Joan of Arc, who is going out on a limb to keep the nation from going further adrift.
Oh Young-jin (foolsdie@gmail.com, foolsdie5@koreatimes.co.kr
) is Korea Times' director of content.