Obama forecast to solidify alliance with S. Korea

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Government officials and diplomatic watchers in Seoul
generally share the view that the impending change of administration in
Washington will have little impact on the solid alliance between South Korea and
the U.S., though the new U.S. president, Barack Obama, is expected to take a
different stand towards bilateral trade issues and North Korea from that of his
predecessor.

The office of President Lee Myung-bak is also firmly convinced of the
continuation of the strong bilateral alliance under the Obama presidency, as the
new U.S. leader has repeatedly pledged to further solidify U.S.-Korea
relationship throughout his campaign.
Lee, widely depicted as a pro-American conservative, has set repairing relations
with the U.S. as his top foreign policy priority since his inauguration in
February, saying bilateral relations had lacked trust under his liberal
predecessors, Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung.
Lee's visit to Camp David, a U.S. presidential retreat, in April for a summit
with President George W. Bush, symbolized the restored alliance relations.
"U.S. rival parties had played up strategic differences in their Korea policies
during the campaign period, but their policies will be eventually converged after
the election. In other words, the power change in Washington won't bring any
significant change to the bilateral alliance," said a top aide for President Lee.
"We're strongly convinced that South Korea-U.S. alliance relations, upgraded
through rounds of Lee-Bush summit meetings, would remain rock solid even after
Democrat Obama takes over the White House," the aide said on condition of
anonymity.
But the official still forecast that North Korea's nuclear problem might take a
back seat to other urgent U.S. foreign policy priorities, while the Obama
administration may ask for revision of the long-overdue Korea-U.S. free trade
agreement (FTA) deal concluded in June 2007.
"The South Korean government is bracing for some changes in the U.S. policies
towards the bilateral FTA and other hot trade issues," he said.
"With such scenarios in mind, we have steadily striven to expand human networking
with the Obama camp since several months ago."
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae is now preparing for Lee's possible
encounter with Obama on the sidelines of the upcoming Group of 20 financial
summit set to take place in Washington on Nov. 15, the official added.
Reflecting Seoul's wishes, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo told a recent
parliamentary session this week that North Korea won't find it easy to bypass
South Korea in its diplomatic approach towards the U.S. due to the solid
Seoul-Washington alliance.
"The policy cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. will rather gain further
momentum under the new U.S. president. Therefore, a possible North Korean
strategy to isolate South Korea in its U.S. diplomacy can hardly be feasible,"
said Han.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan also forecast that there won't be any significant
problems or changes in bilateral alliance under the Obama presidency.
"Basically, the Obama camp also actively supports strengthening the Korea-U.S.
alliance. Obama also supports our policy of resolving the North Korean nuclear
problem through the framework of the six-nation talks," Yu said in a
parliamentary session.
South Korea's rival parties are also briskly moving in anticipation of changes in
the new U.S. government's North Korea and FTA policies.
Lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties are warning that South Korea
could be in danger of being isolated diplomatically, as North Korea will attempt
to strengthen its direct diplomacy with the U.S. and China.
They are asking the Lee government to readjust its North Korea and trade
policies, as the Obama administration is expected to seek to resolve the North
Korean nuclear problem through dialogue and compromise and shift to protectionist
trade policies.
A number of lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), including Reps.
Chung Mong-joon, Park Jin and Hwang Jin-ha, are separately planning to visit
Washington D.C. between November and December to urge U.S. Congressional leaders
to ratify the Korea-U.S. FTA deal, according to party officials.
"The most important task facing the Korean government in the wake of the election
of the liberal-minded Obama is to exactly assess the new U.S. leader's vision,
strategies and human networks," Rep. Chung Ok-im of the GNP said. "It is
essential to make the new U.S. president a friend of Korea's for the sake of the
national interest and future."
The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party expressed deep concern about the Lee
government's "lack of preparations" for the Obama presidency.
"The Lee government doesn't seem to be prepared for the post-Bush era at all.
Thus far, it has pursued a blind diplomacy towards President Bush and has
neglected to form sufficient human networks with the Democratic Party. We're
concerned about diplomatic fallout," the party said in a spokesperson's
commentary.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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