SPEAKING FREELY A Korean meeting of the
minds By Sung-Yoon Lee
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South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il both
believe that the Republic of Korea "is a country that should not have been
born" on August 15, 1948. Therefore, to
both Roh and Kim, Syngman Rhee, the first president of the ROK, is a traitor
and a pawn of US imperialists.
Note that in Roh's address to the nation on Liberation Day, August 15, he made
no mention of who did the actual liberating or who the founding father of the
republic was.
Roh and Kim both believe that the Korean War initiated by Kim Il-sung on June
25, 1950, was a just and noble war of unification, spoiled by the United States
just as the North Korean liberating forces were on the cusp of victory. Both
detest General Douglas MacArthur and his Inchon Landing. Roh remarked last
September, on the controversy over the dismantling of a statue of General
MacArthur: "We have to accept the good with the bad."
Both believe that North Korea has a right to develop nuclear weapons for
self-defense, as it faces "external threats". As a corollary, both believe that
the seven-rocket salute on July 5 (July 4 in the US - Independence Day) was a
mere "political gesture" or a "routine military exercise of a sovereign
nation".
Both believe that US forces in the South are an unwelcome occupying force.
Consequently, both desire South Korea to "wrest away from the US" wartime
operational control. Their next step is the complete, verifiable, irreversible
dismantlement of the US-ROK Combined Forces Command. Both dream the ultimate
dream of the withdrawal of US forces.
Both get a kick out of bashing Japan; however, to both men, the United States
is the ultimate enemy, although they both love the US dollar. Both fear and
loathe President George W Bush (the sentiments are requited by the US
president). Both Roh and Kim support violent anti-US protests in South Korea.
Further, they both love China.
Neither admits to the ghastly conditions of life in North Korea and the state's
systematic and pervasive oppression of the most basic human rights of the
majority of its people. To both men, public criticism of North Korea's
human-rights violations is anathema.
Neither wishes for the collapse of the North Korean state. Each does his best
to prevent it - Kim, with the instruments of fear, isolation and collective
pauperization of his people; Roh, with unprincipled and unconditional provision
of economic aid, in addition to frequent rhetorical defenses of the Kim regime.
Neither has any qualms about state-directed criminal activity, such as
abducting civilians, development and sales of nuclear materials and weapons of
mass destruction despite pledges to the contrary, counterfeiting,
money-laundering and the production and sales of illicit drugs. In fact, both
blame Bush for raising such issues.
Neither wishes the victory of a candidate from the Grand National Party in
South Korea's presidential election in December 2007. Each will do his best to
prevent it - Roh, with the time-tested politics of anti-Americanism, and Kim,
with his own time-tested method of creating strategic instability, including
terrorism.
Both men are failed leaders, reviled by the vast majority of their own
respective population, and loved mostly by communists, pro-communists, and
solipsistic ethnic nationalists. Each fears for his own well-being and legacy
once removed from power.
Notable differences between Roh and Kim
Roh loves Kim, but Kim doesn't love Roh. Kim loves himself and no one else.
Roh's days are numbered, while Kim's are not. Consequently, Roh is desperate
for a summit embrace, while Kim can sit back and dictate a pricey admission
fee.
Roh genuinely wishes not to visit the United States, but he must. Kim genuinely
wishes to visit the US, but he cannot. Kim wishes to speak with Bush but
cannot, whereas Roh wishes not to speak with Bush, but must.
Roh loves to travel abroad at government expense and act presidential; Kim
prefers to party at home and act like a general before his own men, as he is
plagued by fears for his own safety abroad.
World leaders itch for an opportunity to visit Kim in his mythical kingdom,
while major world leaders shy away from visiting Roh in Seoul. Since the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Busan last November, not a single
leader of repute has visited Roh.
Kim welcomes South Korean as well as other defectors to the North; Roh
assiduously shuns North Korean defectors to the South. To date, Roh has not met
a single North Korean defector among the more than 8,000 who have made their
way into South Korea.
Kim loves movies and opera; evidence of Roh's affinity for culture remains as
yet thin.
Kim knows how to hold a champagne glass properly, as he demonstrated when he
cozied up to former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright during her visit
in October 2000. Roh does not know how to hold a Korean teacup, as he
demonstrated when he cozied up to Korean-American football star Hines Ward
during his visit this April (Roh gulped his tea down as if he were taking a
shot).
By now you see that I am really struggling to come with differences between the
Roh and Kim, which raises the all-important question: With so many more
compelling similarities than differences between Roh and Kim, can we be assured
that Bush, when he greets Roh at the White House on September 14, will not
confuse the two Koreans at some point in his conversation with the South
Korean?
Sung Yoon-lee is Kim Koo associate in research at the Korea Institute,
Harvard University. The opinions expressed here in no way represent the
official views of the Kim Koo Foundation or the Korea Institute.
(Copyright 2006 Sung-Yoon Lee.)
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have
their say.
Please click hereif you are interested in
contributing.
