[Editorial] S. Korea-U.S. Alliance Should Reach New Height

The first summit between President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President George W. Bush ended successfully. By dispelling mistrust and misunderstanding that had built up for the past 10 years, they agreed to transform the traditional relationship into a strategic alliance of the 21st century based on trust and shared values of free democracy, respect for human rights and market economy, contributing to promoting world peace.

The alliance, which has contributed to maintaining security on the Korean Peninsula and peace in North East Asia for more than 50 years, can now be taken to a new height in terms of its quality thanks to the summit. South Korea and the United States will benefit from closer and deeper ties with both nations’ commitment to shared values in addition to the military and political alliance that had been formed during the Cold War era. With a clear blue print for the future of the alliance, South Korea can not only elevate its status on the global stage but also alleviate concerns over security.

In a press conference at Camp David on Saturday, Bush said, “A good relationship is based upon common values,” adding that he “appreciates President Lee’s values.” Lee responded, “I will work towards the future with President Bush.”

In the previous government, the nation had to bite their nails during a South Korea-U.S. summit because the unripe doctrine of self-reliance or excessive emphasis on engaging North Korea has elevated tensions. In this regard, this year’s summit freed many Koreans of such concerns, and that alone is a cause for celebration. Furthermore, Korea will be able to strengthen its status in the region by showing off the power of the bilateral alliance and friendship to its neighbors – North Korea, Japan, China and Russia.

Without substantive results, a presidential summit meeting can easily be reduced to an empty talkfest. However, that was not the case for the summit between Seoul and Washington. President Bush announced that he will work towards the ratification of the pending KORUS FTA before the year ends. He also promised South Korea’s inclusion to the Visa Waiver Program within this year and maintaining the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea at 28,500. The firm trust between the two leaders has made such pledges possible.

However, there are some weighty challenges that remain to be addressed in President Bush’s visit to Seoul in July and the second presidential summit. A difficult road lies ahead in terms of the additional dispatch of South Korean troops to Afghanistan as requested by the United States, South Korea’s full participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and expanding Seoul’s share in shouldering the cost of stationing American troops in the nation. These issues may engulf the nation in a heated debate, and some may criticize saying that Lee’s visit to the United States has incurred high cost for Korea.

Moreover, the summit does not hold bright prospects for inter-Korean relations and the one between North Korea and the United States. Although the two leaders have made it clear that North Korea must disable its nuclear facilities, which should be preceded by its declaration of all nuclear weapons and programs and strict verification, they failed to come up with new ways to engage North Korea in the dialogue. Another disappointing part of President Lee’s visit was that he did not have the chance to meet the U.S. presidential candidates.

The South Korean government needs to propose thorough follow-up measures to the summit that will take advantage of the qualitative improvement in the alliance and stronger friendship to serve national interests. It is equally important for the government to share the results of the summit with the people, and ask for their support and cooperation.