President Lee Myung-bak and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush are to get together for a summit at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, on April 18-19. It is the first time for a South Korean head of state to be invited to the mountain retreat. American presidents have used Camp David to host visiting foreign leaders, with former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill being the first in 1943. A Camp David summit symbolizes a close relationship between the U.S. and the nation of the invited leader.
Thus, the invitation of Lee indicates how eagerly the two leaders are trying to restore their countries' traditional alliance, which has been frayed over the last five years under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun. Announcing Lee's scheduled visit to the U.S. on Wednesday, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said the invitation to Camp David reflects Bush's personal trust in the South Korean president. The two presidents will have a good opportunity to reaffirm trust between Seoul and Washington.
In particular, President Lee is expected to stand a better chance of showing what ``pragmatic'' diplomacy is. Lee, whose election commitments included stronger relations with Washington, has chosen the U.S. as his first overseas destination. In this regard, the Korea-U.S. alliance takes a top priority on the diplomatic agenda of the Lee administration. Lee is expected to forge a ``value alliance'' in which the two countries can share the firm principles of liberal democracy and a market economy.
There is no doubt that Bush is also craving better ties with Seoul, which are pivotal to addressing matters of mutual concern, including denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and resolution of regional disputes around the world. We hope Lee's U.S. visit will pave the way for a new partnership between the two countries in the 21st century. However, we have to bear in mind that the symbolic meaning of the summit does not necessarily produce successful results.
Therefore, Lee and Bush are obliged to make the summit a real success both in tone and substance. They need to work out action plans to strengthen the alliance and step up cooperation to solve the North Korean nuclear standoff. On the economic front, the two leaders are required to ensure the speedy parliamentary ratification of the free trade agreement (FTA) signed between the two countries last year. They will also have to tackle the U.S. demand for a wider opening of the Korean beef market. South Korea's bid to join the U.S. visa waiver program is also likely to be on the agenda.
South Koreans want to see President Lee sow a seed of pragmatic diplomacy and bear the fruits of a future-oriented partnership with America. But they don't want to see the cemented alliance alienate other countries. The Lee government should make equal efforts to have better ties with neighbors such as Japan, China and Russia. Let's remember our three diplomatic goals ― to guarantee national security, secure a stable supply of energy and raw materials, and ensure international trust.