[Editorial] Roh`s Visit to ROK-U.S. Joint Forces Command

President-elect Roh`s visit to ROK-U.S. Joint Forces Command bears significance in many respects. The visit is expected to help fix any misunderstanding about the president-elect`s stance on the U.S. by expressing his support for the Korean-U.S. alliance and American troops stationed in Korea. It was made only two days after Roh recognized the need for the presence of American troops and emphasized there is only a small number of anti-American activists at a meeting with James Kelly, U.S. deputy secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

The U.S. troops, on their part, held an honor guard ceremony arranged for a head of a state and briefed in detail on the peninsula`s security situation. It was the first time that a president-elect ever visited the joint command, encouraging military personnel there. What he says and does is drawing keen attention from the Bush administration and American people. And many welcomed the move, seeing Roh expel doubt and worries Americans have had since Roh made such remarks as `what is wrong about anti-Americanism?` by visiting the command and giving pep talks to American soldiers.

It was also a timely move. Presence of U.S. troops in Korea has been covered intensely by American press and media recently. By making a friendly gesture, he will be able to put a brake on some conservative Americans` call for withdrawal of troops, which is not a good sign given the ongoing nuclear standoff.

North Korea is already manipulating anti-American sentiment and the presence of U.S. troops to sour relations between South Korea and the U.S. Mending the tie and maintaining a strong alliance is a wise way of solving the nuclear standoff.

Korean Americans just marked the 100th year anniversary of their landing on the country and South Korea and the U.S. are also marking the 50th year anniversary of their alliance. Relations between the two countries will, therefore, be at the very center of the new government`s foreign policy. Hope his visit to the command will stop any further spreading of anti-American sentiment and expel economic and political uncertain sparked by the mood.