Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Summer Wine]

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/11/03/name_games

Quote:

When my home phone rang at 7:00 a.m. that Sunday in July 2008, a colleague from the South Korean Embassy was on the other end of the line. After a quick apology for disturbing me at such an early hour, he expressed his "deep concern" about Washington's "new stance" on South Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo, a disputed group of small islets in the Sea of Japan (or East Sea, to the Koreans). He wanted to know what was behind the apparent change in U.S. policy. I recall him mentioning a "BGN website," making reference to "undesignated sovereignty," and indicating that his government was seeking immediate clarification of the issue.

Quote:

On Wednesday, when Hadley briefed Bush on the progress of our deliberations, the president did as presidents do: He made a decision. Following Ambassador Lee's intervention the day before, Bush had made clear his desire to defuse the crisis as quickly as possible. He did not want the BGN issue to distract from the key strategic issues on the table during his upcoming visit. These included the North Korea nuclear program, the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the realignment of U.S. forces in South Korea, and the overall strengthening and expansion of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Clearly, a continuation of the Seoul media storm might complicate his upcoming visit, but it was also apparent that the situation was creating real difficulties for a friend and ally. Moreover, the immediate cause of the problem lay in Washington, not Seoul. Bush had developed a high regard for President Lee Myung-bak, and he did not wish to cause a good friend of the United States any undue political difficulty. Thus, the president chose option three: He directed that the changes in BGN's database be reversed with the aim of deflating media criticisms of the South Korean government and the speculation regarding U.S. motives. Hadley relayed the president's decision to my boss, senior director for East Asian Affairs Dennis Wilder, on July 30, who announced the decision later that day during a press conference on the president's upcoming trip to Asia.