Diet coke and soju: strange bed partners?

By David Tizzard

American President Donald Trump is known for his love of Coke ― careful with the pronunciation, please.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in however, in keeping up the tradition of diplomacy being gastronomy, has been seen with a wide range of alcoholic beverages on his many recent diplomatic maneuvers.

Moreover, when the Blue House sent out giftsets to foreign journalist to commemorate the March 1st Independent movement earlier this year it came with “solsongju”, a traditional redolent Korean pine needle alcohol.

I can confirm that I am indeed more a man after President Moon's palate than Trump's and that the “solsongju” was marvelous. From what I remember.

Nevertheless, the two leaders are now set to meet again, this time in Washington. Accepting an invitation from President Trump, the South Korean leader and First Lady Kim Jung-sook will make the trip in the second week of April.

And as the President flies stateside on the South Korean Air Force One, two U.S. F-35A fighter jets will be coming to South Korea with eight more on their way by 2020.

These state-of-the-art radar-evading warplanes will be based in Cheongju, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, and they demonstrate that despite all the culinary bonhomie, the American military is still the regional force to be reckoned with and that the ROK-US alliance is still steeped in dollars, guns, and history and not going anywhere soon.

President Trump has long demanded that other countries pay their way with regard American military support and the 'art of the deal' vis-a-vis the Korean Peninsula has seen the South put their hands in their pockets again.

An agreement last month also saw Seoul agree to contribute over 1 trillion won ($925 million) per year towards the stationing of 28,500 troops here. Most of them are now based around Pyeongtaek, enjoying the pies and hospitality of the popular Braai Republic restaurant.

That military deal was an increase in costs of 8.2% for South Korea ― no small amount for a country suffering from high youth unemployment and stagnant wages while the prices of everything, from taxis to houses, rise frequently.

Nevertheless, it will likely keep President Moon in the 45th's good graces as they sit down for a meal and photo shoot in a couple of weeks. And on the menu will be all things North Korean.

But it won't be “nengmyun” or “songyi” mushrooms, it will be denuclearization.

President Trump wants complete denuclearization before sanctions and economic carrots are provided to the North. This seems improbable but ― unlike his predecessors ― he is seemingly willing to use diplomacy and has stated his position unambiguously to Kim Jong-un in person. That, I think, is a good thing.

President Moon wants relief from international sanctions so that inter-Korean economic activities can continue. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the Kaesong Industrial Zone (KIZ) which, reports suggest, earns the rulers of Pyongyang up to $100 million a year in legal tender. And with this money being fungible, much of that may be channeled away from the actual workers and into whatever the regime desires ― foie gras and caviar, apparently.

President Moon has of course also expressed his desire for a completely denuclearized Korean Peninsula. In that sense, he and President Trump are singing from the same hymn sheet.

Yet while they are both focused on the same goal, it is the process and order in which this should be carried out which is proving to be one of the biggest obstacles.

Both countries want to ascend a Paektu Mountain of peace and fill their plastic bottles with sacred volcanic water as a souvenir, but their planned routes up there are very different. And they have different Sherpas guiding them in the shape of Mike Pompeo and John Bolton and Moon Chung-in and Kim Hyun-chong, respectively.

I believe that both Presidents are working as hard as they can to create a Korean Peninsula of amity. They might have different reasons for doing so ― financial and familial ― and they may possess different methods in approaching it, but overall their similarities are a boon for the current situation.

And so that leaves the DPRK and Kim Jong-un.

Is he really thinking about denuclearizing? Is he playing both Trump and Moon? Is he making hay while the sun shines in a hospitable international environment before closing the door once again when the next American and Korean presidential election cycles come round? Is he merely a hostage to the power held by the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) and a relative pawn in a larger chess game? Is he a young lad making it up as he goes along? Or is he the legitimate ruler of a country about which he cares deeply tasked with ensuring the survival of his people and their culture?

There's probably an element of truth to all of those possibilities but the devil remains in the details and how much of each influences him remains a mystery.

What is known thanks to Dennis Rodman and his time spent in the North is that Kim Jong-un is a fan of Hennessey. While Kim's father confessed to Lim Dong-won that he had to give up the strong stuff and stick to the red wine for his health, the all-smoking all-drinking young leader is doing a remarkable impression of Christopher Hitchens ― without all the religion stuff.

So that leaves us with Diet Coke, Hennessy, and pine needle soju. With a little bit of ice it would likely make for a marvelous drink as the spring nights approach.

I just wonder about the hangover.

David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University.