Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

I liked this editorial from today's Chosun Ilbo because of the numbers it includes. Did you realize that SK's economy is only 1/7 the size of Japan's? I found it interesting that Korea only spends $20 billion on defense.

Power Is More Important Than Words

"In diplomacy, actions are more important than words and power is more important than actions,�� Prof. Han Seung-joo of Korea University, an erstwhile foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, said in his farewell lecture. ��China portrays itself as weaker than it is, partly because it doesn��t want to alarm neighboring countries, but primarily because, being strong and powerful, it can afford to pretend weakness." Referring to remarks by President Roh Moo-hyun, Han added, ��I hear we must say what needs to be said and go red in the face [with anger] when we need. But we have to be careful in deciding what needs to be said and when we need to get red in the face. We must consider very carefully before we get angry and use strong language."

Diplomacy is an area where this government claims to have ��achieved more than expected." In contrast to previous governments, it says, this administration conducts a dignified foreign policy where it says what it must. This year the president said power in Northeast Asia will shift according to Korea��s choices, with the Korea of the future playing a ��balancing�� role the region. When Japan provoked Korea with claims to the Dokdo islets and whitewashing of wartime atrocities, he vowed to see any such attitudes out.

Some people may have felt heartened or reassured to hear the president stand up fearlessly to great powers. But foreign affairs experts abroad said they had no idea what sort of a balancing role Korea can hope to play between the U.S. and China. And despite the president's stern words, nothing has changed in Japan's attitude. Why? Because we had only words, but not the power to enforce them.

A country��s power lies in its economic and military might. Korea's defense outlay of US$20 billion accounts for less than one-twentieth of Washington��s $410 billion; Korea's economic scale of $680 billion is about one-seventh of Japan's $4.5 trillion. Soft power, the ruling forces are fond of saying, can also be effective: yes, when it is backed up by hard -- read economic and military -- power.

But without that backing, words either merely invite ridicule or exact a price that has to be paid for years to come. Before boasting about saying what has to be said, the ruling forces must realize that words can cost the people many times dearer then the effort it takes to shut up.

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The writer is saying that Korea doesn't have the economic/military power to back up the prez's foreign policy. I think he's also pointing out China can act weaker than it is and get by with it, but SK is acting stronger than it really is, and that deception of this kind is self-deception and that is dangerous.

[Hater Depot]

Didn't Kim Dae-jung write this? He seems to have gotten a regular job with the Chosun Ilbo, usually slamming Roh.

You've been the Real Reality of the op-ed page lately.

[Ya-ta Boy]