From the Korea Times:
President-elect Lee Myung-bak pledged to enhance the nation's military strength against North Korea even though he will continue the peace and reconciliation policy toward the country.
``Reinforcing defense and strengthening security do not mean ignoring inter-Korean reconciliation,'' Lee said during a meeting with Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and other military leaders at the Defense Ministry in Seoul Friday.
It may not end the “peace process”, it does mean the end of the open-ended financial commitment the Sunshine Policy bestowed upon the North however. During Roh Moo-hyun’s administration, South Korea bent over backwards to avoid offending their Northern leftist counterparts, and even went as far as condemning their own soldiers who were killed by Kim’s military.
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5 comments:
Personally, I do not think it is a good move. The last thing Korea needs is an arms race. It would cause havoc - both politically and economically.
Personally I would ask the Korean Head's of State one question; define "peace". Cause I think both sides have different definition to the word "peace".
The reason I think this is good for Korea is that the South still relies on the United States for its military defense. The American government and its military have been getting antsy in the last 15 years to turn over the peninsulas’ defense to the Southern government. It is just too easy to let the American’s do all the work and finance the nation’s defense, and it is about time the South got on the ball with taking control of their territory.
And you are right about each nation’s definition of “peace” Andre. The North can never reconcile with the South as long as it is a totalitarian communist state. The Sunshine Policy would never bring about a unified nation, because no real progress can be made with Kim’s government. It needs to collapse or morph into a more free and democratic society before they can be joined.
It's not unknown for a dictator on the ropes to shift attention from internal woes by staging a diversionary invasion... There's always a chance that Kim could try something like that. Even if he doesn't Circumstances can turn a clod peace into a hot war pretty quickly.
I don't blame the South Koreans for wishing to ensure that they can defend themselves.
I've seen you around jams' place but I didn't realize you were Korean. My uncle was stationed there twice and married a Korean lady. Now my cousins have also been stationed there and the younger one just got married in Seoul over the summer and is currently trying to get the paperwork in order to bring his new bride back to the States.
I don't know much about Korean culture and politics but I do love their food! We jump at the offer when my aunt invites us over for a Korean meal.
I agree Jams; I think the Korean’s owe it to themselves to take over the security operations in their country. It would benefit both the Americans and the South Koreans once we are no longer required to act as the South’s first line of defense.
ElasticWBL: Thanks for posting! I am not actually Korea (as far as I know, I have no ancestry from Asia). I am just a westerner working in the South.
To be honest, I don’t know a great deal about Korea either! But I am slowly picking up the language and making a real go at understanding my surroundings.
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