South Korean President 'dead' diplomatically: foreign envoys
President Park Geun-hye bows in apology for a corruption scandal involving her and her close confidant Choi Soon-sil while delivering a nationally televised address at Cheong Wa Dae, Nov. 4. Offering her second apology in 10 days for the scandal, Park said she will accept investigation by the prosecution and a separate independent counsel investigation, if necessary. / Yonhap
By Park Si-soo, Rachel Lee
President Park Geun-hye is “dead” diplomatically in the fallout from a scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil, foreign and Korean diplomats said.
They said Park would find it difficult to have normal negotiations with foreign counterparts during her remaining time in office because of doubts about her ability to implement decisions agreed to during talks. This has made foreign envoys here reluctant to arrange summits with serious agendas that require a consistent and undisrupted commitment from both sides.
Park has decided to skip this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Summit, which will be held in Lima, Peru, from Nov. 19 to 20.
A bigger concern lies in a wave of unprecedented diplomatic challenges that will shake South Korea following Donald Trump’s inauguration as U.S. President early next year.
From trade to military, the business-minded President-elect has said he will implement a set of disruptive changes to the existing rules between Seoul and Washington to help make the U.S. “great again.”
In the face of unpredictability, Park’s diplomatic death means the country would be left leaderless when it comes to dealing with external threats, which could severely damage the nation’s stability and international competitiveness.
A European diplomat in Seoul recently told The Korea Times that it would be “very difficult” for the embattled President to get her voice heard in the international community, at least for now.
He advised her to put diplomatic issues on the back-burner and concentrate on restoring her political leadership. He didn’t elaborate and did not want to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media about Korea’s domestic affairs.
Another European diplomat here said “yes” when asked if the allegations about the influence-peddling scandal have taken a deadly toll on Park diplomatically. He also did not want to be identified for the same reason.
A South Korean diplomat echoed their views.
“With people calling for Park’s resignation getting louder, no foreign head of state would be willing to talk with Park because her future is uncertain,” the Korean diplomat said on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the matter. “Foreign diplomats frequently ask (me) about how stable her status is and will be ... The government may insist the scandal has done nothing to the President, but few may take it at face value.”
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Oct. 31 directed overseas Korean diplomats to explain Park’s “stable” status to foreign governments.