| bibo:abstract |
Korean Peninsula Security
after the U.S.-China Summit
March 30, 2011 LEE Ji-yong
Visiting Professor
Chinese President Hu Jintao’s
visit to the United States
which lasted from January
18, 2011, to January 23,
2011, provided an opportunity for both
countries to hold the second U.S.-China
Summit since the Obama administration
came into office. This year’s U.S.-China
Summit has received attention in that
the Summit itself made it possible for
the two countries to re-establish their
relations with each other given the
previously observed escalation of
tensions in bilateral relations on
economic and security-related issues. Also, the Summit was viewed as having
laid out the future direction of the U.S.- China relations.
Therefore, the South Korean
government needs to thoroughly assess
the gains and losses resulting from
resuming the Six-Party Talks while
questioning the sincerity of North
Korea’s efforts to engage in constructive
dialogue. Resuming of South-North
dialogue is, despite its limitations in
generating efficient outcomes, necessary in
order for Korea to prevent the North
from launching another provocation
against the South and use South-North
dialogue as means to manage the crisis
while maintaining stability. Also,
abandoning the current efforts to
resume South-North dialogue could
result in Korea’s losing its leadership in
dealing with the issues related to North
Korea’s nuclear program and the
Korean peninsula. Furthermore, it
could eventually encourage the North
Korean regime to take more risky
actions in the future, such as launching
the third nuclear test, another missile or
any other provocation against South Korea.
Taking into account those negative
possibilities resulting from failure to
resume dialogue, it is required for South
Korea to secure its international position
by participating in dialogue with the
North and, at the same time, to
emphasize the need for building trust
between the two countries. Korea is
also required to exercise a greater
degree of leadership in handling the
situation at hand, and this calls for
more active diplomacy with the U.S.
and China. Especially, diplomacy with
China must be carried out in parallel
with efforts to lessen China’s security
concerns about the Korean peninsula.
At the same time, Korea will have to
persuade the Chinese government to
recognize the urgent need for promoting
cooperation between Korea and China
in order to promote economic growth
in North Korea and also for inducing
North Korea’s opening and reform.
Also, Korea needs to persuade China to
recognize potential political and economic
benefits common to both parties, which
can result from cooperation between
Korea and China. Considering the current 4 IFANS BRIEF 2011-03
tasks facing the Korean government today
as described above, Korea is required to
devote efforts towards coordinating the
system of cooperation among Korea,
the U.S. and China and also to identify a
set of interests that are common to
both Korea and China by strengthening
its engagement policy towards China.
IFANS 2011 ©
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