[Editorial] Telephone Talks Between Two Presidents Improve Strained Ties

The telephone conversation between Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and US President George Bush was significant in that it made Koreans realize that Korea and the US are still close allies. The two head of states exchanged their opinions on pressing issues including the North Korean nuclear issue and possible war against Iraq in an amicable atmosphere. Although the 15-minute telephone conversation was too short to fully exchange their opinions, we believe that it served its purpose to mend the strained bilateral relations. The telephone talks came at a sensitive time and generally touched on pending issues facing both countries. Therefore, the Korean government should use this opportunity as a turning point for improving relations with the US.

However, it is premature to think that relations between Korea and the US will get back on the right track in the wake of this short chat. For instance, in case of the North Korean nuclear issue, there are sharp differences between the two governments. On the approach to solving the nuclear issue, the US has insisted on multilateral dialogue, rejecting direct talks with the North. The US is concerned that the situation will be aggravated, warning that the North will have highly enriched weapons-grade uranium in months.

In the telephone conversation, Cheong Wa Dae said that the two countries reaffirmed the principle that the North Korean nuclear issue should be solved in a peaceful manner, while the White House commented that the two presidents shared views that the issue should be addressed in a multilateral framework. The different responses in Korea and the US to the conversation suggest that the two countries see things differently.

What should be kept in mind is that Bush’s telephone call was made to express gratitude to the Korean government for its support for the war against Iraq. The Korean government deserves gratitude because the Korean government’s declaration of support for a possible war against Iraq came in a difficult situation where the US may give up a resolution vote in the UN Security Council. Therefore, it is interesting to think about what message the US President wanted to send the Korean government.

It is natural for a government to express its support for polices of an ally country and receive acknowledgement because give-and-take is what diplomacy is all about. Wise diplomacy allows for the gaining of an ally’s support for policies that the other government pursues. We just hope that the telephone talks serve as a starting point for the two countries to work on a wise solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.