Meet the New Korean Ambassador
This certainly doesn’t look very encouraging:
– Will your criminal record for tax evasion hinder your diplomatic activity?
“That is a tough question. I’ve never heard anything from the United States. It is a relief to me that I was appointed ambassador by the [progressive] Roh administration, the successor to the Kim Dae-jung administration [which indicted him]. It means that my punishment for tax evasion in 1999 could be viewed from another perspective.”
Note that this guy wants to be U.N. General Secretary. He’ll go far.
– There is concern that there are problems in the relationship between the two countries.
“I don’t believe there are any cracks in policy coordination between the two governments. It’s true, however, that there is anti-American feeling in Korea, which has been expressed, and I think some in the U.S. feel a sense of betrayal. I think I have to play the role of asking the U.S. to properly deal with some left-over emotions that might still linger in U.S. society.”
“Emotions” such as a desire for enhanced strategic flexibility, an urgent need to combat proliferation, concern for the human rights of the North Korean people, and the need not to waste billions on a nation that actively prevents us from realizing those goals. And other than this complete divergence of interests and a deep mutual antipathy from the street to the highest levels of government, no cracks in that relationship whatsoever. So often with Korean politicians, the attitude seems to be that a little backroom schmoozing can make up for deep and fundamental differences.
– What do you think of North Korea’s nuclear declaration?
“I’m very disappointed. When you think about it from a sympathetic point of view, the North Koreans did it to strengthen their bargaining position. Individually, I look at the North with a warm heart, and I hope we can realize policies that can lead North Korea into becoming a member of the international community.”
– There are those calling for taking a tougher line with Pyongyang.
“As diplomatic means, there are carrots and sticks, but they say the finest horse trainers use only lump sugar, while the worst use only the whip.”
– What do you think of the president’s statement that North Korea’s nuclear claims had some merit?
“I think when you look at the historic background of the intra-Korean relationship for the last 10 years, President Roh Moo-hyun’s comment in Los Angeles was something it is possible to say. It’s just that I think this background wasn’t sufficiently conveyed, and one could have viewed it as an unexpected comment made at an unexpected time.”
Hong caused some commotion among reporters by using the polite form of the Korean word for “pass away” to refer to the death of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung ? an unprecedented level of respect accorded a North Korean strongman by a senior South Korean official.
What more do you need to know? Dishonest and stupid seems to sum it right up.