MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 29th 2024 - 07:01 UTC

 

 

South Korea has first female president: pledges ‘trust-politik’ with Pyongyang

Monday, February 25th 2013 - 22:16 UTC
Full article 3 comments
Park Geun-hye is daughter of Park Chung-hee, considered one of the founders of modern Korea Park Geun-hye is daughter of Park Chung-hee, considered one of the founders of modern Korea

Park Geun-hye made history Monday by becoming South Korea's first female president, pledging to secure South Korea against the threat of an increasingly hostile North Korea at the same time as mending bridges with Pyongyang.

“North Korea's recent nuclear test is a challenge to the survival and future of the Korean people, and there should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none other than North Korea itself,” she said. “I urge North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions without delay and embark on the path to peace and shared development.”

Reiterating her policy of 'trust-politik' - a policy based on deterrence combined with cautious approaches to North Korea - she said she intended to “lay the groundwork for an era of harmonious unification where all Koreans can lead more prosperous and freer lives and where their dreams can come true.”

“I will move forward step-by-step on the basis of credible deterrence to build trust between the South and the North.”

When she was elected last December, Park broke barriers in the patriarchal East Asian nation, though she is deeply connected to its past. Her father, Park Chung-hee, was one of the founders of modern Korea who took power after a coup d'etat and ruled heavy-handedly for 18 years before being shot dead by his intelligence chief in 1979.

His memory still divides South Korea: some regard him as the cornerstone of South Korea's present prosperity while others see him as a dictator who ignored human rights and crushed dissent.

Although she has apologized for human rights violations during his rule, Park has been criticized for not doing enough to take distance from his legacy. Still, any concerns about her family's past weren't enough to prevent 52% of voters from elevating her to the presidency.

Park, 61, and her opponent, the Democratic United Party's Moon Jae-in, offered similarly moderate plans during the campaign, addressing income inequality, reining in the power of family-owned conglomerates and improving relations with North Korea.

On North Korea, Park distinguished herself from former President Lee Myung-bak, who demanded an end to Pyongyang's nuclear arms program as a condition of economic aid, by offering a softer, carrot-and-stick approach.

She visited the North Korean capital in 2002 and met with its late leader Kim Jong Il. Since then, his son Kim Jong Un has taken over in Pyongyang, continuing a policy of defiant work on the country's budding nuclear program, including a test earlier this month that drew widespread international condemnation.

“Precisely because trust is at a low point these days South Korea has a chance to rebuild it,” Park told Foreign Affairs magazine before she won the election. “In order to transform the Korean Peninsula from a zone of conflict into a zone of trust, South Korea has to adopt a policy of 'trust-politik,' establishing mutually binding expectations based on global norms.”
 

Categories: Politics, International.

Top Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules
  • Room101

    Just an aside: I remember the talks at Pyongang during the Korean War, when the US representative grew testy at the intransigence of the Chinese Communist reps sitting opposite; who were dancing around the question of budging on a particular problem where both sides were of literally fighting over the possession a barren hill. The Chinese offered a useless proposition, to which the US rep replied angrily,“We''ll cross that bridge when we come to it!” The Chinese got up from the table and were away for some hours. They returned and took their places somewhat leisurely whilst the US waited with baited breath...The Chinese leader, in a slow considered tone said: “We Chinese know of no bridge that you can cross before reaching it.”
    Stalling diplomatically is sometimes a good thing for both sides.

    Feb 26th, 2013 - 10:41 am 0
  • Shed-time

    They should all just have some more plastic surgery and have a should about japan taking some of their pickled cabbage. They'd feel much better afterwards.

    Feb 26th, 2013 - 11:42 am 0
  • row82

    Please support this page - Falklands Forever British - dedicated to Falkland Islands current affairs, keeping the islands free and poking fun at the lunacy of the Argentine government and their various claims and winding up their Internet trolls - https://www.facebook.com/Britain1592

    https://www.facebook.com/Britain1592

    Please support our other page - Falkland Islands Desire The Right - dedicated to Falkland Islands current affairs - https://www.facebook.com/Britain1592

    https://www.facebook.com/Britain1592

    Feb 26th, 2013 - 11:38 pm 0
Read all comments

Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!