U.S. Government Resolve to CheonanResponse and Divided Korea

The Obama administration is viewing the Cheonan incident as a military attack on a military ally and plans to fully support South Korea’s counter-plan. South Korea and the U.S. agreed to strengthen a joint counter-plan through Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to South Korea on May 25, followed by a phone call between President Lee Myung Bak and President Obama. The response of the U.S. Senate is resolute as well. On May 13, the U.S. Senate unanimously adopted the Cheonan resolution submitted by the Foreign Panel, referring it to the entire conference. The Senate resolution determined the cause of the sinking as “an external explosion” and designated the North as the mastermind behind the Cheonan situation, pressing for obedience of the U.N. Security Council’s resolution on North Korea for the safety of South Korea.

The U.S. administration and Congress are showing a model of throwing oneself into the rescue of an ally in difficulty. Also noteworthy is their non-partisan approach, transcending partisan differences in the realm of foreign security, on which national interests ride. This kind of attitude is precisely the power of America the superpower, the driving force in gaining national support for government and Congress.

Based on the Korean-U.S. alliance, the response of Washington is in stark contrast to China’s excessive protection of North Korea. At the Korea-China-Japan talks for foreign ministers on the May 15 and 16 — in which the Cheonan situation was the main topic of discussion — China’s foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, merely said that “objective scientific investigation is important.” He was simply repeating the words of President Hu Jintao at the Korea-China summit two weeks ago, even though he was just days away from the results of the Cheonan investigation of May 20. Instead, China pressed for a swift resumption of the six-party talks. It would be difficult to say that China’s walking-of-a-tightrope between South and North Korea is the attitude befitting a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council responsible for world peace.

Actually, it is embarrassing to blame China when we consider the division of domestic politics concerning the Cheonan situation. Regarding the Cheonan fact-finding results, Democratic Party leader Jung Se Kyun attacked yesterday at the press interview that “it is clear that the Grand National Party (GNP) and the government are politically taking advantage of the situation.” Comments from Yoo Shi Min — the only contender for Kyungki province governor from the opposition — that “’an external explosion is responsible for Cheonan’ is a fabrication” ignore the evidence obtained from the salvaged Cheonan. I worry that China and North Korea might exploit our divided government, especially if we’re unable to submit a resolution to the standard of the U.S. Congress.