South Korea After Roh Moo Hyun: Blood Ties Thicker Than an Alliance?

Volume 3 | Issue 3 | Article ID 1802 | Mar 28, 2005 The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus

South Korea After Roh Moo Hyun: Blood ties thicker than an alliance?

Wakamiya Yoshibumi

South Korea After Roh Moo Hyun: Park said scathingly, "It has caused division Blood ties thicker than an alliance? and discord among the people to spread." She called Roh's policy of reconciliation with By Wakamiya Yoshibumi North Korea "a failure," saying he attached A presidential election will be held in South greater importance to cooperation between the Korea at the end of next year to choose a two Koreas than to maintaining alliances with successor to Roh Moo Hyun, leader of the Uri the United States and Japan. Party, who is due to step down in February When her father was in charge, South Korea 2008. was locked in an intense standoff with the North. He relied on the backing of the United While it is rather early to talk about his States and help from Japan to achieve his replacement, I recently led a Japan National country's remarkable economic growth. Press Club mission to South Korea to observe the situation and to meet with the leading To the younger Park, the current contenders for the presidency. administration's support of North-South reconciliation and digging into its own dark First, I went to the national assembly where I past must appear to be the mirror opposite of met Park Geun Hye, 54, chairwoman of the her father's regime. main opposition Hannara (Grand National Party). She is the daughter of former President It appears that even Park does not intend to Park Chung Hee, whose military regime ruled return to the old days, however. for nearly 20 years until his assassination by an aide in 1979. In fact, she cites liberal democracy, a market economy and constitutional government as Park has led the opposition party for two years. three "national principles" that South Korea As a child, she lived in the Blue House, South must hold on to at any cost. Most of these ideas Korea's presidential office and residence. Her are incompatible with military dictatorship. mother was assassinated when Park was 22; five years later, her father was shot to death. At the same time, they are principles that don't exist in North Korea today. It is not right to Perhaps because she has endured such severe ignore such realities and show such eagerness trials of life, she has become a self-possessed in promoting North-South exchanges alone: I woman with a graceful demeanor. think that is what she wanted to emphasize.

However, as the leader of the largestStuck in the 1970s opposition party, she is relentless. "Park is young, but her ideas seem to belong to Referring to Roh's three-year administration, the 1970s," quipped Chung Dong Young, who

1 3 | 3 | 0 APJ | JF was imprisoned during that decade because of adversary in the Korean War, seems his involvement in South Korea's struggle for unreasonably lenient. democracy. Japanese and South Koreans share many of the Chung, who until recently held the post of same perceptions, as the popularity of South unification minister in the Roh administration, Korean television dramas in Japan has shown. has played a key role in advancing North-South But alas, this affinity seems to mean little when relations. He was elected chairman of the it comes to the North Koreans, who share the ruling Uri Party on Feb. 18. same blood as the South Koreans.

Our group met him during the electionCan the South really persuade its belligerent campaign in Chonju, where eight candidates confrere to give up its nuclear weapons had gathered to deliver speeches. program?

Chung described Roh's three years in power as Kim Geun Tae, a former South Korean health a time during which "the Korean Peninsula and welfare minister, said in response to that broke away from the Cold War situation." He question: "It is Japan and the United States that called this "a Copernican change," one as mind- I find harder to understand." blowing as the discovery that the Earth revolves around the sun. Kim, 59, a member of the ruling Uri Party, ran against Chung in the election for party In June last year, Chung visited North Korea leadership. Kim is a hard-core fighter, a and met with its reclusive leader Kim Jong Il. dissident who served an even longer prison "Since we reached an agreement with General- term than Chung did. Secretary Kim in our meeting, I expect a North- "If South Korea takes the initiative to South summit to take place by the end of the encourage North Korea to introduce a market year," Chung said. "It would be nice if the third economy with the help of the United States and Japan-North Korea summit could also be held in Japan, we expect an administration friendly to this context." Japan and the United States to eventually Like the former television newscaster that he emerge (in the North). is, Chung dropped sound bites worthy of headline news. "In times of terror, one cannot be expected to make a rational choice. Once we give Of course, reunification of "the Korean people" assurances of peace and financial aid, the is important. But should that goal endanger the nuclear problem will also be settled," Kim said. South's relationships with its allies—countries that share its values of freedom andChung shares that view. Although it sounds democracy? In fact, many Japanese share optimistic, they have strong belief that change Park's skepticism about the way the Roh will come to North Korea, which in the final administration is dealing with the North and analysis, is a society of human beings, like any treating Japan. other.

South Korea has severely criticized Japan, It appears that next year's presidential election which subjected it to colonial rule, over in South Korea will see leaders in both ruling problems of their shared history. Inand opposition camps fighting an intense battle comparison, its treatment of North Korea, its of left versus right. Another possibility

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The mayor of Seoul, Lee Myung Bak, 64, who The move appears to be aimed at winning the has hinted he may run for president, supported support of moderate groups. Still, no one can by the Hannara Party, thinks differently. We see what will develop during the campaign. visited him at the city hall. How will Roh, faced with declining public Lee, too, was imprisoned by the Park regime approval ratings after three years in office, for his involvement in the anti-Japanese student react? We asked to meet with him at the Blue movement. House, but our request was turned down.

Now a business leader—he is the former head "If he met with the Japanese media at this of Hyundai Engineering and Construction—Lee juncture, he would be forced to issue a harsh seems to have a different mindset from the statement," explained an aide. other presidential hopefuls. Deep-seated distrust between national leaders Thanks partly to his success in restoring the is bad for everyone in both countries. flow of the Chonggyechon river through Seoul, the mayor enjoys high public approval. I might add that, during our visit, we "The perceptiveness required of CEOs is also discovered that interest in our mutual concerns important in running nations," said Lee, with was widespread. confidence. Everywhere we went, people repeatedly asked, He may be exactly the new type of leader "Who's going to succeed Prime Minister needed to bridge a divided nation. Koizumi Junichiro?"

Other factions within the Uri Party support former Prime Minister Goh Kun, 68, who has Wakamiya Yoshibumi heads The Asahi many years of administrative experience with Shimbun's editorial board. This article few party ties, in the upcoming presidential appeared in IHT/Asahi, March 13, 2006. Posted race. at Japan Focus, March 19, 2005.