To Keep the Alliance Between the US and South Korea Strong

On Jan. 7, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned an interesting expression regarding the bilateral security arrangement of the United States and South Korea in Washington, D.C.

The statement was: “without an inch of daylight between us.” These words sounded suitable for [describing] good couples, but Kerry used them to describe the perfect collaboration between South Korea and the U.S. against the ballistic missile systems of North Korea. As Kerry said,* if there were no gap between two individuals, it [this arrangement] would look hermaphroditic. It also reminded me of a young couple in a subway, sticking together like different magnetic poles.

This expression has become popular with authorities from both countries. On Jan. 29, Korean and U.S. negotiators of the six-party talks used similar expressions — “no daylight between our two countries,” at the press interview in Seoul. With that expression, they emphasized the perfect partnerships of two countries. The expression literally referred to positive relationships. However, I felt uncomfortable with it because of what I have heard from Korean diplomats who have handled the relationship with the U.S. for a long time.

One of the authorities who managed the relationship between the U.S. and Korea said, “I do not like diplomatic rhetoric such as ‘the perfect partnership of Korea and the U.S.'” That person also said, “In fact, the perfect partnership is impossible because each country has different interests. It can happen when one side gives up its own benefit and follows the other side without complaints.

“Compared with China, the U.S. is more reasonable and more generous to negotiate with.”

Another senior diplomat said, “However, the U.S. changes its attitudes into offensive tactics when it deals with the crucial benefits of the U.S.”

Thus, many Korean experts in North American affairs have agreed with a saying: “The more you negotiate with the United States, the less you become favorable to the United States.”

Diplomats who went through all kinds of hardships in negotiations with the United States emphasized that the Korean government should watch the good partnership with the U.S. more carefully.

“When the Korean government took a hardline policy toward North Korea, the U.S. government used it to ease the tension with North Korea. Then, the South Korean government asked the U.S. government to collaborate with its policy. At this point, the U.S. demanded rewards to South Korea and then become cooperative to South Korea’s policy,” an expert said. “In contrast, when South Korea became favorable to North Korea, the U.S. forced the South Korean government to stop doing so and follow the U.S. without any return.”

In other words, the U.S. has never sacrificed its benefits for “the perfect partnership” between the U.S. and South Korea.

An alliance is the same as marriage because it is the best relationship between two different countries. Last year was the 60th anniversary of the bilateral alliance between South Korea and the United States. This close partnership is famous for “the most [continuously] successive alliance in the world.” It was also meaningful because the strong alliance with the U.S. was the basis of national security for South Korea. With this national security, South Korea could overcome damages from the Korean War and develop the country remarkably. This rapid progress is also known as the Miracle on the Han River.

This year is a brand new year for both Korea and the United States. Both countries have to look after each other’s interests and concerns, as well as showcasing their close partnerships “without an inch of daylight between [them]” to the world. This year, there are sensitive issues to manage for South Korea and the United States, such as revising the Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement, the delay in restoring wartime operational command and historical and territorial disputes in Northeast Asia. In the process, both the U.S. and South Korea should speak out about the uncomfortable truth, tension and conflicts and try to reach a reasonable agreement. Then, the partnership can last for a longer time.

Here is one relevant, and personal, story on this. My grandparents and parents, who lived happily together, never regarded their married lives as successful. Instead, their descendants felt proud of their great partnerships throughout their own lives, even with small arguments.

*Editor’s note: Kerry did not actually say this. It is the author’s interpretation of the quote.