[Editorial] Reckless partisan debate over anti-Americanism

The recent debate between the ruling and the opposition party over anti-American sentiment worries us in no small degree as it may lead to internal conflicts in our society. By all means, we should not hesitate to criticize the wrongs the United States has perpetrated against us, but we should not let the criticism develop into anti-American sentiment. This should be borne in mind by our politicians in their debate.

In his press interview Wednesday, opposition Grand National Party leader Lee Hoi-Chang pointed out that there are some grounds to suspect that the present administration does not particularly care about the growing, reckless anti-Americanism in our society. In a rejoinder to Lee`s claim, Ruling Millennium Democratic Party leader Suh Young-Hoon stated that Lee was making a fraudulent assertion by distorting facts that could have adverse effects on Korea-U.S. relations.

The ruling and the opposition party`s partisan tit-for-tat is creating the impression that they are out to exploit for their own interests recently strained Seoul-Washington relations in the wake of the controversy over the USFK`s dumping of toxic substances into the Han river, the Maehyang-ri bombing exercises and the SOFA revisions.

The opposition Grand National Party clarified that party leader Lee merely stated his opinion that we should not let those Korean-American issues become convenient causes for the anti-American crusade. Despite the GNP`s clarification, we can not interpret Lee`s statements only as mere political rhetoric he as an opposition leader made against the ruling party. It is true that his statements contain some grounds for being misunderstood as a partisan gambit. Lee`s suspicion that the present administration is deliberately neglecting negative anti-American sentiment is enough to create unfounded suspicions over sound Korea-U.S. bilateral ties.

The United States, it should be pointed out, has been our staunch ally. No one can deny that America`s role on the Korean peninsula deserves our high appreciation. However, Korea and the United States can not always agree on every matter. Their governments can have different perceptions on some issues. Some strained relations and discomfort can follow them at times. There can always be sound criticism which contributes to the sound development of the two countries` bilateral relations.

Unlike this sound criticism, anti-Americanism in our view has dangerous potential to shake the foundations of Seoul-Washington ties. Against this backdrop, we must recall what President Kim Dae-Jung emphasized in his cabinet meeting on August 1: "We can criticize American policies but it will go against our national interest if such criticism leads to anti-American sentiment.``

Thus, we urge that the present partisan debate over anti-Americanism cease immediately, no matter what ignited it. The quarrel can only contribute to our sound criticism of some American policies being mistaken for the voice of anti-American sentiment. What worries us more here is the possibility that such partisan bickering may exploit the historic era for inter-Korean reconciliation to instigate the anti-American sentiment looming large in some segments of our society.