Roh’s Former Foreign Minister Attacks His Policies
Yoon Young-Kwan isn’t the only former member of his administration attacking him today, but these two criticisms seem particularly spot-on:
He fumed at North Korea, calling Pyongyang “high-handed” in its attitude while it accepts handouts from Seoul. “Economic cooperation,” he added, “should instead help a market economy develop in North Korea.”
He continued, “Emotional nationalism appears to rule our society at the moment, because an outdated resistance spirit and passive world view are rampant. Diplomacy is something you do with cool-headed calculation, not with emotions.”
Yes, I would favor engagement with North Korea if there were any evidence that it was reaching the people through the curtain of fear or leveraging needed reforms. By making the aid unconditional, South Korea simply prolongs the suffering of the people.
The timing is interesting, given that there will be bi-elections for four vacant National Assembly seats today.
I’m watching the election returns being flashed on the bottom of the TV screen right now. Looks like the GNP candidates will secure three of the four. The fourth seat is close call between GNP and Min Ju candidate. Uri taking a beating…
The criticism is not surprising coming from Yoon, as he never really belonged in the Roh crowd and was essentially dismissed as being “pro-American.”
Criticisms of this nature would be far more encouraging coming from a “True Believer.”
True Believers seldom have the grasp of reality necessary to make such a statement.
Slim, but True Believers sometimes become apostates. Look at the original neocons! They were all communists! 🙂
Trotskyites, to be specific.
HOORAY!
PIG Uri takes yet another beating. Take that proud PIG Uri card member carrying Mihwa! In fact, make that ZERO on 31 local lawmakers elections in last 1 year. WIPEOUT!
Glad to see GNP sweep 3 seats and even DJ’s ex-party’s Cho winning a seat in Seoul. He was the leader behind NO’s righteous impeachment and he is bound to make NO and PIG Uri’s lives miserable indeed. Dude Cho was a real bulldog and I thought he belonged in wrong party – should be in GNP.
Say how many foreing ministers did NO replace between inauguration and traitor in making JOKE Ban?
How many career diplomats left since NO became the by far the WORST president in Korean history?
Now the foreign ministry is filled with commie amateurs mouthing off for MURDERER midget Kim filled with commie emotion.
Say did you all see that traitor in maming Ban won the straw poll to take over the Kofi’s job? Let’s make sure this does not happen via supporting Bolton’s nomination to head US in worthless corrupt UN including abadoning the ideology that next UN head comes from Asia.
Exactly! But I don’t think the current NK regime will allow that, which is why I favor regime change.
No wonder we’re on the same page.
Literally.
I agree with both Richardson and Joshua on the capacity of economic exchange to in the long-run transform North Korea. I think Eastern European-style gradual opening is almost impossible for a variety of reasons. Chief among them, first, the North Korean communists have fuller control of its populace and have stamped out the remnants of civil society in a more comprehensive degree than any of its communist or totalitarian predecessors elsewhere. Second, if anything, the North Korean leadership is purportedly obssessive students of communism’s fall and know that any substantial reform would doom the regime. So the only game left is extortion.
Of course, this leaves us with the problem of finding a workable solution, and I honestly do not know…