{"id":2200796,"date":"2023-04-24T17:23:19","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T08:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200796"},"modified":"2023-04-25T17:39:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T08:39:32","slug":"seouls-foreign-policy-divisions-bubble-to-surface-after-key-adviser-resigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/04\/seouls-foreign-policy-divisions-bubble-to-surface-after-key-adviser-resigns\/","title":{"rendered":"Seoul\u2019s foreign policy divisions bubble to surface after key adviser resigns"},"content":{"rendered":"
A surprising turn of events recently unfolded in South Korea when President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s national security adviser <\/span>resigned<\/span><\/a> unexpectedly, just a month before the <\/span>Biden-Yoon bilateral summit<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Due to Kim Sung-han\u2019s resignation, first deputy Kim Tae-hyo has emerged as a key figure in Seoul\u2019s National Security Office. However, he did not assume the top job. Instead, that role went to <\/span>Cho Tae-yong<\/span><\/a>, previously the South Korean ambassador to the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n The precise reasons behind these sudden resignations remain undisclosed. Speculation arose that Kim Sung-han\u2019s dismissal might have been due to his mishandling of a concert featuring K-pop sensation Blackpink, intended as part of Yoon\u2019s U.S. visit. But these claims remain unverified.<\/span><\/p>\n Reports<\/span><\/a> have <\/span>attributed<\/span><\/a> the unexpected reshuffling to divergent work styles and policy disagreements between Kim Tae-hyo and Kim Sung-han. Media coverage emphasized Kim Tae-hyo\u2019s fervent advocacy for improving Korea-Japan relations, while Kim Sung-han reportedly preferred a more conditional approach. One <\/span>op-ed<\/span><\/a> in a conservative newspaper claimed that Yoon reprimanded Kim Sung-han and foreign minister Park Jin for their excessive caution in making concessions to Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n Political parties have voiced <\/span>differing<\/span><\/a> opinions<\/span><\/a> on Kim Sung-han\u2019s resignation. In a CBS Radio <\/span>interview<\/span><\/a>, Lee Chul-gyu, a conservative lawmaker and an ally of Yoon, dismissed the narrative that the reported Blackpink concert was the primary reason for the resignation. Another ruling party politician <\/span>alluded<\/span><\/a> to Kim Sung-han\u2019s resignation being the \u201cconsequence of ongoing issues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Conversely, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has <\/span>insinuated<\/span><\/a> a connection between the recent national security office upheaval and first lady Kim Keon-hee \u2014 a <\/span>frequent<\/span><\/a> target<\/span><\/a> of their ire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless, the fact that the upheaval in the national security office emerged weeks before the pivotal U.S.-ROK summit has led both ruling and opposition parties to take a keen interest in the matter, which has the potential to seep into domestic politics and thereby sway foreign policy decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n MYOPIC DOMESTIC POLITICS<\/b><\/p>\n Concerns have arisen that this turmoil might adversely affect Seoul\u2019s relations with allies and partners, especially the U.S. The intricate ties between South Korea\u2019s contentious domestic politics and diplomacy present challenges for foreign diplomats managing relations with the ROK.<\/span><\/p>\n Foreign policy issues in South Korea often become politicized, as domestic political strife heavily influences decisions. Ideological disputes or political ambitions can result in the cancellation of even officially signed agreements.<\/span><\/p>\n Examples of such political maneuvers include the 2017 <\/span>collapse<\/span><\/a> of the Comfort Women Agreement, initially signed in 2015, and the Moon administration\u2019s pursuit of an <\/span>end-of-war declaration<\/span><\/a> with North Korea between 2020 and 2022. In both instances, the Moon administration stoked nationalist fervor to <\/span>better position itself<\/span><\/a> before elections.<\/span><\/p>\n The near-forgotten \u201c<\/span>mad cow disease crisis<\/span><\/a>\u201d in 2008, another incident fueled by domestic politicking, further supports this trend. Contrary to <\/span>reassurances<\/span><\/a> by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stories circulated by progressive media outlets erroneously claimed that imported U.S. beef was <\/span>unsafe<\/span><\/a> to consume.<\/span><\/p>\n This narrative fueled <\/span>large-scale<\/span><\/a> anti-U.S. protests<\/span><\/a>, with the underlying aim of <\/span>targeting<\/span><\/a> Lee Myung-bak\u2019s conservative administration.<\/span><\/p>\n Although lengthy <\/span>negotiations<\/span><\/a> eventually resolved the issue, the crisis could have severely damaged the crucial relationship between South Korea and its sole ally under <\/span>different circumstances<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n However, progressives do not have a monopoly on prioritizing short-term electoral gains over national interest. President Lee Myung-bak\u2019s <\/span>visit to the Dokdo islands<\/span><\/a> in 2012 proved unnecessary and counterproductive to South Korea\u2019s diplomatic endeavors with Japan. However, this provocative act might have <\/span>bolstered<\/span><\/a> the conservatives\u2019 electoral fortunes in the subsequent presidential elections.<\/span><\/p>\n These instances demonstrate that both liberal and conservative factions have shown a willingness to prioritize domestic political gains over the nation\u2019s foreign policy interests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n