The Death of an Alliance, Part XIV (for those of you from North Dakota, that’s fourteen)
Roh Moo-Hyun’s official mouthpiece, Cho Ki-sook, isn’t happy about all that media disinformation about trouble in the U.S.-Korea alliance.
“It is totally improper to argue that President Roh Moo-hyun has been attempting to divide the nation between forces supporting the U.S. and opposing it,” Cho said during a media briefing at Chong Wa Dae. Cho made the remark amid mounting criticism by major papers over President Roh’s statement on relations between Seoul and Washington while he was making a state visit to Turkey last week. At that time, Roh said he had been suffering a setback due to some people who speak and act more like Americans than the Americans.
Regarding pro-American figures, Cho referred to some journalists and experts who speak English fluently. “Of course, they may worry about the nation and make criticisms against the government for the future of the nation. But I would like to question whether their attitude will help cement the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” she said. “As I have already noted, I am pro-American also. But it does not help Korean officials to engage in negotiations with U.S. counterparts when the media describes the alliance as being in a state of schism,” she added.
She called on mass media to stop distorting the issue and raising it for their own purposes. Cho noted it has been Chong Wa Dae’s mission to keep the alliance with the U.S. while preserving national interest. “But undermining President Roh’s remark will not help this purpose,” she said.
So now, if you’ve lived in America or speak English, you’re too pro-American. Remember now, this is South Korea we’re talking about.
No wonder nobody in Roh’s inner circle has a clue about the state of U.S.-Korea relations. I’m not sure what’s more disturbing–Korea being in denial, or getting so much bad information from its own people that it actually believes that everything is just peachy.
More DOA posts:
Part XIII, U.S. scaling back its Army aviation in Korea;
Part XII, S. Korea pulls out of contingency planning to N. Korean collapse;
Part XI, U.S. and S. Korea to reevaluate entire alliance, plus links to the rest of the series.
Blogger’s Note: South Dakotans, like people in many blissfully underpopulated Western states, tend to cling to a toehold of status by . . . making fun of the neighbors! North Dakota is our usual target. Jokes about Wyoming and Montana can be risquee and even invite severe physical injuries, since they inevitably involve references to unnatural congress with sheep. Minnesotans have taken away all our fun by making fun of themselves. Nebraska and Iowa just aren’t funny.