Time to build trust
Published: 06 Nov. 2017, 21:34
But the situation at home and abroad is not that promising. The U.S. president will likely try to find fault with the free trade deal his predecessor, Barack Obama, struck with South Korea, not to mention underscoring the need for both sides to establish an uncontested joint front in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear provocations. In fact, Trump strongly criticized South Korea for reaping a “remarkable trade surplus” after the trade pact during his June summit with Moon in Washington.
On the critical issue of security, too, Uncle Sam will most likely raise an issue of Seoul’s allegedly “lukewarm” attitudes about putting substantial pressure on Pyongyang. Succumbing to the international community’s call for even-tougher sanctions on North Korea, the South Korean government on Monday hurriedly announced a list of its own sanctions through the government bulletin. But the action could be seen as a “symbolic” step that falls way short of Washington’s expectations.
We also wonder why Moon had to mention a need for South Korea to play the role of “diplomatic balancer” between Washington and Beijing in Friday’s interview with foreign media. The question of South Korea promoting its national interest by keeping some distance from both America and China could be a topic worth considering. But Moon’s choice of timing, four days before Trump’s trip to Seoul, is not good.
Nevertheless, South Korea must take advantage of Trump’s visit to lay a stepping stone for the successful resolution of the nuclear crisis. He is arriving in South Korea shortly after receiving a wholehearted welcome from the Japanese people during a three-day visit to Tokyo. We hope Moon does his best to build trust with him. Moon must demonstrate sincerity, one of his strong points, for a better dialogue with Trump in order to focus on addressing the nuclear conundrum.
JoongAng Ilbo, Nov. 7, Page 34
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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