Hurdle Cleared for Lee-Bush Summit
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The Bush administration's reversal of a change in the name of the Dokdo islets to a U.S. database is expected to help further cement ties between Seoul and Washington, which diplomats from both nations say have been ``restored.''
The swift decision, which came a week after a U.S. federal naming agency had changed Dokdo's status from Korean territory to ``undesignated sovereignty'' on its Web site, was construed as the U.S. government's efforts to remove potential obstacles to the upcoming Seoul summit between the leaders of the two nations, officials and experts here said.
``The White House seemed to have been concerned about the growing anti-American sentiment boosted by months-long street rallies led by progressive forces in Seoul against a decision to resume the imports of U.S. beef,'' an analyst said, asking not to be named.
``The U.S. could not just ignore the Dokdo issue since such a move could trigger more anti-U.S. protests ahead of Bush's visit to Seoul next week, this time even from conservative forces in Seoul, which are traditionally supportive of the Korea-U.S. alliance.''
Since the Lee Myung-bak government agreed in April, just before the summit between Lee and Bush at Camp David, tens of thousands of South Korean people took to the streets against the beef deal, calling for banning the imports of older cattle considered at greater risk of mad cow disease.
The demonstrations often turned into anti-U.S. rallies or anti-Lee government, which puts a top priority on relations with the United States.
The United States agreed later not to export beef from cattle older than 30 months in additional beef talks with South Korea, but progressive civic activists and politicians still want the government to scrap the deal and renegotiate the beef imports.
South Korea's full-scale diplomatic efforts also had a big influence on the U.S. decision to reinstate the sovereignty of Dokdo, according to officials.
South Korean Ambassador to Washington Lee Tae-sik and other senior diplomats had a series of meetings with U.S. top officials to explain South Korea's firm position on the Dokdo dispute.
A group of lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties also flew to the U.S. and met their U.S. counterparts over the matter.
``I think our bipartisan efforts successfully contributed to the U.S. decision on Dokdo's status. We believe the U.S. government has made a difficult but wise decision from the long-term perspective,'' Rep. Park Jin of the governing Grand National Party who led the group said.
A senior government official said, ``As the Dokdo issue has been resolved, the leaders of South Korea and the United States will be able to address pending issues of mutual concern during the forthcoming summit.
Among the agenda items on the table are North Korea's nuclear issue, the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and the recent shooting death of a South Korean tourist in a North Korean resort, he said.
Bush is to visit South Korea Aug. 5-6 as part of his Asian trips that will take him to China and Thailand.