“The Next Administration Requires Amending the Sunshine Policy”

At the public opinion polls taken by Dong-A Ilbo targeting 72 U.S. experts on Korean peninsula, two thirds of them were critical of Bush administration`s North Korea policy including U.S. President George W Bush`s comment of `axis of evil`.

Majority of the respondents were against Korean government`s support for Kumgang Mountain tour business, and 86.1 percent of the respondents thought that the next government needs to complement and amend the North Korea policy of Kim Dae-Jung administration.

Celebrating 82nd anniversary of the foundation of Dong-A Ilbo, it collected opinions of U.S. experts on Korean peninsula affairs including David Steinberg (Prof. of George Town Univ.), Robert Rich (former chief of Korea division in U.S. Ministry of State), and Robert Dujarric (Hudson Institute) from 18th to 29th last month.

Almost all U.S. experts on Korean peninsula participated in this poll. And it is first tryout on the pending issues between Korea and U.S. and Korean peninsula affairs. This poll was co-hosted by Dong-A Ilbo and Peter M. Beck (foreign columnist of Dong-A Ilbo), chief researcher in the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEIA).

According to the result of the poll, 52 persons or over two thirds of total respondents objected to the North Korea policy of Bush administration, with 30 persons (41.7 percent) out of total 72 respondents answering `not support at all, ` and 22 persons (30.5 percent) `relatively not support`.

To the comment of U.S. President Bush that called North Korea the `axis of evil, ` `not support at all` numbered 33 persons (45.8 percent) and `not support` 16 persons (22.2 percent), and sum total of `not support` numbered 49 persons (68.0 percent).

To the Korean government`s support on Mt. Kumgang tour business, 43 persons (59.7 percent) marked at `not support`, while 28 persons (38.9 percent) at `support`.

To the question on the next Korean government`s policy toward North Korea, 47 persons (65.3 percent) said, ¡°it should keep the basic principle of sunshine policy with a little amendment, ¡° and 15 persons (20.8 percent) said, ¡°it should prepare new approaches to North Korea based on the principle of reciprocity, ¡° while 7 persons (9.7 percent) said, ¡° it should keep the current policy¡°.

To the agreement of Geneva in 1994 about the freeze of North Korea`s nuclear, ¡°U.S. should follow the Geneva Agreement, ¡° said 50 persons (69.4 percent), which is three times more than 16 persons (22.2 percent) who said, ¡°U.S. should try new agreement. ¡°

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com