South Koreans are paying much attention to who will be elected to the White House ― Democratic candidate Barack Obama or Republican hopeful John McCain. Now, the two candidates and their parties are shaping their foreign policy, including the North Korean nuclear issue, Pyongyang's human rights track record, Seoul-Washington relations and the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).
There is little doubt that Obama and McCain share a general goal of denuclearizing North Korea. However, the two presidential runners and their parties are taking different approaches toward achieving this. On Aug. 25, the Democratic Party adopted a platform calling for a more active engagement with North Korea and continuation of the six-party talks on nuclear disarmament of the communist country. In other words, the platform focuses on diplomatic efforts to realize a verifiably nuclear free Korean Peninsula.
It is noteworthy that Obama has criticized President George W. Bush for having refused for years to engage North Korea and allowed the Stalinist state to produce ``eight nuclear warheads." Obama has said he will ``continue to pursue the kind of direct and aggressive diplomacy with Pyongyang that can yield results. It appears that his conciliatory gesture could please the Kim Jong-il regime, prompting some speculation that the North might continue to drag its feet to see Obama win the presidential race.
It is no surprise that McCain is taking a tougher stance on the North than Obama and Bush. His Republican Party introduced a platform demanding ``complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement (CVID)" of Pyongyang's nucear weapons programs with a full account of its proliferation activities. CVID was the principle of the Bush administration during the early years of the six-party talks that began in 2003. But later, Bush eased the firm principle to lure the North back to the table.
Both Obama and McCain are expected to raise the issue of the North's human rights situation. The Democratic platform called for an enhanced role for the U.S. government in promoting human rights for North Koreans and other oppressed peoples. It stated, ``We will stand up for oppressed people from Cuba to North Korea and from Burma to Zimbabwe and Sudan." The Republican platform also mentioned the issue, saying that ``we look toward the restoration of human rights to the suffering people of North Korea."
The Republican Party emphasized the strong Seoul-Washington alliance, stating, ``Another valued ally, the Republic of Korea, remains vigilant with us against the tyranny and international ambitions of a maniacal state on its border." The Democratic Party asked for U.S. engagement in Asia by ``maintaining strong relations with allies like Japan, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines … in order to create a stable and prosperous Asia." Whoever becomes president, America is predicted to develop consolidated ties with South Korea and other Asian allies.
McCain seems to favor an immediate ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA as mentioned in his party's platform. However, Obama is seen as somewhat reserved about the trade deal. He once called for renegotiation of the FTA. Americans will choose McCain or Obama as their leader in November. We hope the new U.S. president will take a more proactive foreign policy approach to help bring peace around the world, including the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.