US sees Park as ideal partner

By Kim Young-jin

Gordon Flake The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation

The election of Park Geun-hye as the next President will give the Barack Obama administration an ideal partner for coordination on North Korea policy, as a region rife with new leadership seeks to contain the emboldened regime, a U.S. expert said.

Gordon Flake, executive director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, said while Washington was prepared to work with defeated liberal challenger Moon Jae-in, an “immediate policy alignment” with Park and her conservative Saenuri Party boded well for the freshly-reelected U.S. president.

“The Obama administration has placed its highest priority in the region on strengthening its relationships with Korea and Japan,” Flake said in an email. “There is every reason to believe that this trend will continue during the Obama-Park era and as such the two allies will be able to coordinate closely in addressing the many challenges posed by North Korea.”

The victory of Park solidified the final piece in a recent series of leadership changes in the region also including Japan, Russia, and China. Analysts say this may energize multilateral efforts to contain Pyongyang’s nuclear program in exchange for easing its isolation.

However, this may take some time as the allies will seek international censure for the North’s successful rocket launch earlier this month. The success of the multistage rocket upped the ante for negotiations as it brought into focus the threat of Pyongyang achieving long range nuclear capability.

Following a tough line on Pyongyang by incumbent Lee Myung-bak that showed no immediate progress on inter-Korean relations, Park said she would seek dialogue and to build trust with the regime. Calling for “a tough line against North Korea sometimes and a flexible policy open to negotiations at others,” the stance remains a work in progress. Analysts expect her to discuss the issue with Obama when the two hold a summit, expected not long after her inauguration in February.

Moon’s defeat puts out of the picture the possibility of Cheong Wa Dae aggressively moving to engage Pyongyang.

On the campaign trail, Park emphasized the importance of a strong alliance to deter Pyongyang. Analysts say Park’s prioritization of security issues may lead her to seek even tighter coordination than seen under incumbent President Lee Myung-bak.

The North in 2010 killed a total of 50 South Koreans in two separate attacks, opening the door for a greater presence in the region by Washington, which has urged greater trilateral cooperation involving Japan.

Flake said in addition to ideological and policy alignment, President-elect Park's status as Korea's first female president would be “an accomplishment which will be very much welcomed and appreciated in his country.

“While the United States has yet to elect a female President, there is no question that there is a deep respect for the important role women play in global leadership ㅡ the most immediate example of course being Secretary of State (Hillary) Clinton. I presume that this will be a compelling narrative allowing President-elect Park to forge stronger personal relationships in the U.S. and in the region,” Flake said.