(News Focus) Clinton clarifies contrasting stances on two Koreas

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- On her first trip to South Korea as the U.S. secretary
of state, Hillary Clinton appears to have made good on her promise to "listen" to
what Seoul says. Her stance here on the North Korean nuclear issue and some
thorny alliance issues drew keen attention as a litmus for the tone of ties
between the two nations under the Barack Obama administration.
Making public statements after her one-hour talks with Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan on Friday, Clinton fully supported South Korea's position on the
communist country's nuclear program, missile threats, and strained inter-Korean
ties, while sidestepping tricky bilateral agendas including the delayed
ratification of the free trade agreement and whether South Korea should play a
military role in Afghanistan.
She made clear who is Washington's friend and foe on the peninsula.
"(South) Korea's achievement of democracy and prosperity stands in stark contrast
to the tyranny and poverty across the border to the North," Clinton said in a
press conference, with the South Korean minister standing next to her.
The top U.S. diplomat said the communist nation is "not going to get a different
relationship with the United States while insulting and refusing dialogue with
the Republic of Korea (South Korea)."
The remarks would help relieve the conservative South Korean government of
lingering worries that North Korea may resort to a tactic of "talking only with
the U.S., while shunning dialogue with the South."
The North has churned out bellicose statements and even warning of an imminent
armed clash with the South, adding to tensions already running high due to its
reported ballistic missile launch preparations.
North Korea's renewed hostility toward the South after a decade of reconciliatory
mood come in protest at Seoul's refusal to take a carrot-only approach towards
Pyongyang.
On the contrary, Pyongyang has refrained from criticizing the Obama
administration, which declared a policy of "tough and direct" diplomacy with
Pyongyang.
Speaking to the Asia Society shortly before her four-nation Asia trip, Clinton
held out a set of incentives. "If North Korea is genuinely prepared to completely
and verifiably eliminate their nuclear weapons program, the U.S. will be willing
to normalize bilateral relations, replace the peninsula's long-standing armistice
agreements with a permanent peace treaty and assist in meeting the energy and
other economic needs of the North Korean people," she said last week.
In Friday's press conference here, however, Clinton avoided paying "lip service"
to the North. She instead sent a clear message that the North should stop making
"provocative, unhelpful" threats.
The U.S. will pursue direct talks with the North within the framework of the
six-way talks also involving South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan, she
emphasized, dashing Pyongyang's hopes of a separate one-on-one showdown.
She further touched on the sensitive topic of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's
health and rumors of his successor, an issue she first raised during a mid-air
meeting with Washington-based reporters accompanying her.
South Korean reporters sought to confirm her view.
"When you are thinking about the future dealings with a government that doesn't
have a clear succession -- they don't have a vice president, they don't have a
prime minister -- that is something you have to think about," she replied.
Clinton also announced the widely expected appointment of Stephen Bosworth, a
former U.S. ambassador to Seoul, as Obama's special envoy on North Korea in what
analysts said heralds the start of the U.S. administration's full-scale efforts
to chart a strategy on Pyongyang.
Clinton hinted that Bosworth will be granted more authority than his predecessor
Christopher Hill, saying he will have higher-level contact with Pyongyang.
The secretary put sensitive bilateral issues with South Korea on the back burner.
When asked if she wants South Korea to send troops to Afghanistan, she only said
the two sides will continue to consult each other.
As the foreign minister gave lengthy explanations about the need for the early
ratification of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement during their talks,
Clinton gave a terse response, according to a ministry official. She refused to
go into additional discussions, just saying she will pay attention to the matter.
Clinton has been openly critical of some provisions in the pact, although she has
not specified which.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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