[Editorial] U.S. Presidential Election, the New Opportunity for the South-U.S. Alliance

The incumbent George W. Bush seems poised to be the winner of the 44th U.S. presidential election. The implication of his victory goes beyond just a reelection. It would be no exaggeration to say that it is up to him whether the world will be more peaceful and prosperous for the next four years since the world is already under the unipolar system under the U.S. rule. Like it or not, this is what our global village is facing.

The world wants the United States to be the “goodwill manager” of this planet. This means a call for peacekeeping through dialogue and negotiation on the part of the U.S. to prevent criticism for its unilateralism and more aggressive approach in dealing with emerging issues such as terrorism, poverty, and climate change. We hope that Bush will meet this expectation. He should be reminded that a unipolar system can be either more stable or more unstable than a multipolar system depending upon the leadership of the leading nation.

The reelection of Bush may represent good news if the U.S. policy toward the Korean Peninsula remains consistent, particularly so in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue. President Bush has vowed constantly to resolve the North’s nuclear issue in the framework of the six-way talks. He denies the possibility of U.S.-North Korean bilateral talks. The Kim Jong Il regime must read this message and bring itself to the negotiating table. The United States has even developed the North Korean Human Rights Act, depending on whose enforcement and application can shake the North Korean regime from the foundation. Dismantling of the nuclear program is the first step to prevent a tragic consequence.

Every pending issue, including the North Korean nuclear standoff, must be discussed based on the framework of the South Korean-U.S. coordination. Big issues such as the relocation of the Yongsan military base and the realignment of the U.S. forces stationed in the South have been addressed. The remaining ones to be dealt with include building mutual cooperation in the process of their actual implementation and restoring confidence between the two countries by doing so. While maximizing the South Korean-U.S. coalition forces for the retention of deterrence against the North, the South Korean government should carefully review the issue of “scaling up U.S. forces in Korea” in the context of the Bush administration’s policy of securing strategic flexibility of U.S. military presence in foreign countries. The Zaitoon unit in Iraq must also be allowed to prolong its stay.

Most importantly, some negative perception of the U.S. in society should be changed. Past experiences show us how voices of emotional independence and negligent anti-Americanism can harm our national interest. The “independence seekers” of the current administration should replace anti-American sentiment with the policy of utilizing America. A critical eye and courage that can prevail emotional anti-Americanism are required, and hence the necessity of an overall facelift in the diplomacy toward the U.S.

The Korean-U.S. alliance is not simple bilateral relations. Along with the U.S.-Japanese alliance, it is one of the two pillars that have sustained the status quo in Northeast Asia for more than a half century since WWII.

However, the goal and strategy must be based on a win-win platform with which both countries can be winners in the face of China’s rapid growth and Japan’s increasing militarization. True sense of independence can be pursued after reunification with North Korea. This is our survival tactics as well as what we repeatedly learned from the U.S. presidential election