American mistake
Marking The Korea Times’ 65th anniversary on Nov. 1, the editorial board had a roundtable with its three columnists to take stock of President Park Geun-hye’s performance. As we have done before, the participants had an hour or so of unrestricted discussion and were asked to pick their subject of interest. The subjects included unification, governance style and the economy as well as foreign policy. Some of the ideas and suggestions were opinions of the columnists and don’t necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the paper. ― ED
Korea Times columnist John Burton, right, finds himself on the receiving end of finger-pointing by the Chief Editorial Writer and acts coolly, while Mike Breen, second from left, and Andy Salmon, look as though they are wondering which side to take. The postures of the discussants in this case don’t do the situation justice because it is just about the only photo that shows action, meaning the roundtable was conducted in a civilized manner, being free from shouting or physical confrontation. The debate was held at the conference room of Breen’s Insight Communications in downtown Seoul, Oct. 23. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Oh Young-jin
Is Korea under President Park Geun-hye tilting toward China? It’s not the right question to ask because Korea is not nearly as strong as China and thus cannot exercise greater say in determining the relationship. So, the better question is: Is China pulling Korea in? The answer is yes. China is Korea’s largest trading partner, and Korea’s economy relies heavily on exports. The two are geographically close and their histories have been intertwined for thousands of years.
Now, China is trying to regain its status as the powerful Middle Kingdom, setting up a hegemonic contest with the United States, which has so far played the role of the world’s policeman, or at least the honest broker with few challenges. But the situation is changing fast.
The chance is that the U.S. may be losing this contest due to its myopic view of the changing dynamics of the world. The first hint of that was the thinking of Dean Acheson that dates back to the 1950-1953 Korean War. Secretary of State Acheson designated Japan as the Maginot line against the communist Soviet Union, completely ignoring the situation in Korea, which caused Joseph Stalin to decide to invade South Korea through the puppet regime of Kim Il-sung in the North. The U.S. is showing this flawed approach again in trying to contain China’s onslaught by deputizing Japan despite the devastating war with it that ended 70 years ago. It’s a pity few Americans remember FDR’s warning of the “day of infamy” when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at the start of the Pacific part of the Second World War. The second danger sign is American isolationism that has flared up or died down throughout its short history. This characteristic makes America audacious sometimes and shy at others because it believes it can sustain itself on its great landmass with the resources it has. This thought is as illusory now as the old Wild West once was because American superiority comes from unlimited flows of foreign talent.
Why is this American dilemma relevant to Korea and to President Park? Because it can mean chaos. The process of China replacing the U.S., if it takes place, could become messy as Thucydides’ trap is unfurled. As a Korean saying goes, the new may be worse than the old. So for the Americans, it’s important for them to admit that the Chinese pull is too strong for Korea to resist, so it’s America’s call to let China proceed or try to stop it. I hope that America is not full of Donald Trumps.
Oh Young-jin is the chief editorial writer of The Korea Times.