By Well at least it seems that the Blue House is using proper discretion in regards to any summits between Lee Myung-bak and Kim Jong-il:
This was denied Sunday by Lee Dong-kwan, President Lee’s top public relations officer.
“The possibility of an inter-Korean summit was discussed on the condition of improvement in inter-Korean relations at the South Korea-China summit in Beijing Oct. 10,” Lee Dong-kwan said. “We delivered these facts to the U.S. administration for the sake of information sharing, but there seems to have been misunderstanding.”
“The president has expressed his willingness to meet Kim whenever possible if it is for the Korean Peninsula and its people’s future on a number of occasions. But an inter-Korean summit just for the sake of meeting itself cannot be allowed.”
He added, “A meeting driven by political and tactical motivations without sincerity will be meaningless.” [Donga Ilbo]
Unlike the former Roh Moo-hyun administration, Lee see no need to hold self serving propaganda photo ops with the North Koreans.
I have always believed that any South Korean negotiations with the North Koreans should include demands that Kim Jong-il keep the promise that he made to the late Kim Dae-jung that he would reciprocate Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang in 2000 with a visit to Seoul himself.
2:43 pm on October 19th, 2009 1
Glad to hear it!
When Dae Jung went up there, we all had hope that it really meant something. Such a huge disappointment that it was all just a huge cash payoff to KJI.
When Moo Hyun went up there, everyone knew it was just a meaningless photo op and no one, except Roh's most ardent supporters, felt it meant anything at all.
LMB keeps making the smart play, for the most part. My students just can't comprehend why I like him. They have been ordered to hate him by their 'seniors'.
8:06 pm on October 19th, 2009 2
“A meeting driven by political and tactical motivations without sincerity will be meaningless.”
I think that sums it up fairly well. While the current administration is looking for photo ops, and good publicity, at the expense of any meaningful dialog, it works against president Lee and his hard line stance.
I stand with South Korea on its policy. (tired of the US and its games).
4:38 pm on October 20th, 2009 3
GI:
“I have always believed that any South Korean negotiations with the North Koreans should include demands that Kim Jong-il keep the promise that he made to the late Kim Dae-jung that he would reciprocate Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang in 2000 with a visit to Seoul himself.”
Absolutely! I wish more attention were paid to this offer of reciprocity. Roh Moo-hyun was too desperate in October 2007 to uphold the condition, and Kim Jong Il took advantage. I can only imagine the KCNA features that would attend such a meeting, though.
11:37 pm on October 20th, 2009 4
“A meeting driven by political and tactical motivations without sincerity will be meaningless.”
Yes, because Lee sincerely believed that a canal cutting through South Korea was necessary to boost the local economy despite the facts that South Korea already has one of the most advanced railroad systems in the world, is about the same size as Minnesota…and isn't pre-industrial revolution era France.
2:22 am on October 21st, 2009 5
And your point is that Lee is wrong?
2:49 am on October 21st, 2009 6
No, my point is that I wouldn't take everything Lee says at face value.