Korean-American Summit Is Opportunity To Restore ‘Free Market Economics’

Published in Hankyung
(South Korea) on 31 March 2019
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sean Kim. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.

 

 

The upcoming meeting between President Moon Jae-In and President Donald Trump to be held on April 11, 2019 is attracting interest from every country as they wonder what breakthroughs will be made in the North Korean denuclearization negotiations, which have recently come to a standstill.* This is because the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi at the end of February ended inconclusively.

The goal of the April meeting is twofold. A main issue is preparing a cooperative plan for the successful conclusion of negotiations between North Korea and the United States once talks resume. In America, the critical sentiment that Moon and his government care more about their relations with North Korea than they do about denuclearization is spreading not only through the Trump administration but also through Congress and various think tanks. President Moon’s role in this meeting is an important reason. Another goal is to dispel rumors swirling about tensions within South Korea’s alliance with the United States. Such verification that the alliance is, in fact, running smoothly is important for a quick solution to denuclearization but is even more important to ensure the peace and security of northeastern Asia.

In addition, this meeting is an opportunity to normalize South Korea’s convoluted foreign policy. The fact that Korea is growing increasingly farther from the United States and has already become worryingly estranged from Japan is seen from all corners of the globe. On top of that, Korea doesn’t even have a close relationship with China. It is difficult when a country whose growth is indebted to the expansion of global free trade harms its national security by becoming an ‘odd one out.’

The beginning of Korea’s diplomatic normalization must be the firm restoration of liberal democracy and the free market. If cooperation with its allies is the starting point of the meeting between South Korea and the United States, Korea’s main focus becomes clear. It was only possible for our nation to step past the ravages of war and into the position of a world economic power through adopting and protecting capitalism and a market economy while also promoting peoples’ individuality and ambition.

South Korea’s former capitalist allies, including the United States and Japan, are now drifting away, and in some cases, are even beginning to show animosity. This is comparable to the controversy over Korea’s submissive attitude in its diplomacy toward China, which has yet to achieve any results. Reaffirming the alliance between Korea and the United States will also greatly help denuclearization efforts. This is also the value and base upon which efforts to aid and develop North Korea after denuclearization in the future will be built.

*Editor’s note: This article was published prior to the meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Trump in Washington on April 11, 2019. The editors feel that the opinions expressed by the author are still relevant.


오는 11일 열리는 문재인 대통령과 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령의 회담이 교착상태에 빠진 북한 핵 제거 협상에 어떤 돌파구를 마련할지 각국의 관심이 쏠리고 있다. 지난 2월 말 하노이 미·북 정상회담이 아무런 합의 없이 결렬된 터여서 더욱 그렇다.

이번 회담 목표는 크게 봐서 두 가지다. 미·북의 비핵화 협상이 재개돼 성공적으로 마무리되도록 한·미 공조방안을 마련하는 게 큰 현안이다. 미국에서는 행정부뿐 아니라 의회와 싱크탱크까지 “문재인 정부가 비핵화보다 남북관계를 우선시하는 것 아닌가”라는 비판 여론이 확산돼 왔다. 이번 회담에서 문 대통령 역할이 중요한 이유다. 다른 하나는 다각도로 제기된 한·미 동맹 이상기류설을 불식시키는 것이다. 한·미 동맹이 확고하게 작동하고 있음을 정상회담에서 확인하는 것이 북핵 문제의 조기 해결뿐 아니라 동북아 평화 안보에도 필요하다.

아울러 이번 회담은 헝클어진 한국 외교를 정상화하는 계기가 돼야 할 것이다. 한국은 미국과의 간극이 커지고, 일본과는 우려할 만큼 소원해지고 있다는 평가를 국내외에서 듣고 있다. 그렇다고 중국과 ‘전략적 우호 협력’ 관계인 것도 아니다. 세계적인 개방과 자유교역 확대에 힘입어 발전해온 나라가 ‘외톨이 외교’로 국가안보 훼손을 자초해서는 곤란하다.

한국 외교 정상화의 출발점은 ‘자유민주주의와 시장경제 동맹의 확고한 복원’이 돼야 한다. 이런 우방들과 협력해 나가는 데 한·미 동맹이 출발점이자 핵심축임은 두말할 필요도 없다. 우리나라가 전쟁 참화 등 굴곡을 딛고 경제강국 대열에 올라선 것도 자유주의와 시장경제 체제를 일관되게 수호하며 개인의 창의와 성취 의욕을 북돋아왔기에 가능했다.

그런 대한민국이 요즘 자유주의와 시장경제 동맹의 강고한 우방이었던 미국 일본과 이런저런 이유로 서먹해지거나 적대 감정까지 드러내는 사이로 바뀌어 가고 있다. ‘저자세’ 논란이 되풀이되면서도 이렇다 할 성과는 없는 대(對)중국 외교와 비교된다. 한·미 간 ‘가치 동맹’ 확인은 북핵 문제의 조기 해결에도 크게 도움 될 것이다. 훗날 비핵화가 실현됐을 때 북한을 돕고 발전시킬 근본 원리와 가치도 이것이다.
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