(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Oct. 17)

Closer Ties With Vietnam
-Korea Should Do More to Heal War-Related Wounds-

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is scheduled to make a state visit to
Vietnam on Oct. 20-22. Hope is growing that the two nations will forge closer
ties to deepen their friendship and boost exchanges not only in economy but also
in politics, security, culture and education. It is expected that Seoul and Hanoi
will reach an agreement to upgrade their present ``comprehensive partnership" to
a ``strategic cooperative" relationship during Lee's visit to the Southeast Asian
country.
President Lee will hold a summit with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Minh
Triet, to sign the agreement and seal a package of economic cooperation deals.
Lee's visit will be the fifth of its kind by South Korean heads of state to
Vietnam since the nation established relations with the socialist country in
1992. Since then, the two sides have made much progress in their bilateral
relationship.
The number of South Korean and Vietnamese visitors to each county reached 500,000
last year. And 80,000 to 90,000 South Koreans currently live in Vietnam, while
roughly the same number of Vietnamese resides in Korea. Besides, 60-70 percent of
the 90 million people in Vietnam enjoy Korean soap operas, movies and songs. Many
Vietnamese are riding the Korean wave, which is better known as hallyu ??? the
boom of Korean pop culture abroad, especially in Japan, China and Southeast Asian
countries. More than 40,000 Vietnamese women have immigrated to Korea after
marring South Korean men.
Vietnam, a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has
emerged as an important partner for Korea. During the Cold War period, South
Korea excessively focused on ties with the United States, Japan and other allies.
But since the 1990s, the country has diversified its diplomacy by normalizing
ties with China and Russia. It has also given more attention to relations with
ASEAN states. Against this backdrop, Korea and Vietnam have witnessed rapid
development in their bilateral ties in a short period.
Trade between the two countries has seen a sizable rise, especially since Seoul
signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with ASEAN in 2007. Korea's exports to
Vietnam jumped 35 percent year-on-year to $7.8 billion in 2008, while its imports
from the Southeast Asian country surged 46 percent to $2 billion. It is necessary
for the two countries to double their efforts to step up bilateral cooperation in
business, industry, investment and other exchanges.
In addition, South Korea should do more to help heal the wounds of Vietnamese who
were victimized during the Vietnam War. Many people still have bad memories of
South Korean troops who fought alongside American soldiers in Vietnam between
1965 and 1975. The Hanoi government has recently protested Seoul's definition of
the Vietnamese conflict. The protest came after the South Korean Ministry of
Patriots and Veterans Affairs said in a public notice last month that it would
push for legislation to give financial compensation and other benefits to Vietnam
War veterans.
What annoyed Hanoi officials was the ministry's statement that the veterans
``worked for world peace." South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan hurriedly
flew to Hanoi last weekend to assure Vietnamese officials that the Seoul
government will not use the phrase ``world peace" in further statements on the
matter. The Lee administration should take proactive measures to prevent such a
war-related issue from standing in the way of a future-oriented relationship with
Vietnam. It is important to have a correct understanding of the Vietnam War and
help relieve the pain of Vietnamese who suffered physically and mentally due to
the conflict.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)