{"id":2205883,"date":"2024-07-22T17:37:34","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T08:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205883"},"modified":"2024-07-23T12:51:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T03:51:35","slug":"bribery-influence-and-diplomacy-uncovering-parallels-in-us-rok-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/bribery-influence-and-diplomacy-uncovering-parallels-in-us-rok-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"Bribery, influence and diplomacy: Uncovering parallels in US-ROK relations"},"content":{"rendered":"
While most Americans and Koreans might like to believe that their countries\u2019 foreign policies are based solely on their own national interests, Sue Mi Terry\u2019s <\/span>indictment<\/span><\/a> suggests that external influences may play a role in shaping these policies.<\/span><\/p>\n As U.S. law enforcement continues its investigations of Terry\u2019s alleged collusion with South Korea\u2019s National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents, this case may expand in scope and duration, revealing a network of individuals and institutions involved in shaping U.S. policy and public opinion in favor of South Korean interests.<\/span><\/p>\n However, despite the seriousness of the allegations, they pale in comparison to the <\/span>Koreagate<\/span><\/a> scandal of the late 1970s, which involved widespread bribery and influence-peddling.<\/span><\/p>\n Reviewing the events of Koreagate provides valuable insights into how the current scandal may unfold and grow in the coming months. By understanding the scope and impact of the previous scandal, observers can better anticipate the potential ramifications of the Terry case and its effect on U.S.-South Korea relations.<\/span><\/p>\n KOREAGATE: BRIBING U.S. CONGRESS<\/b><\/p>\n The Koreagate scandal, which derived its name from the Watergate scandal that had played out just a few years earlier, centered around the South Korean government\u2019s efforts to bribe U.S. lawmakers to adopt policies favorable to South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n In the late 1960s, Tongsun Park (Park Dong-seon) devised a plan to leverage his connections in Washington, which he had cultivated as a Georgetown University student and owner of a popular club, to benefit Park Chung-hee\u2019s regime.<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, South Korea purchased large quantities of American rice, and intermediaries in the negotiations received substantial commissions. Tongsun Park requested that the South Korean government appoint him the middleman, promising to use the profits to <\/span>lobby or bribe<\/span><\/a> members of Congress.<\/span><\/p>\n The Park government recognized the importance of Congress in 1970 when the Nixon administration announced a <\/span>withdrawal of 20,000 U.S. troops<\/span><\/a> from the Korean Peninsula. To secure the $5 billion in military aid Nixon promised to modernize the South Korean military and offset the departing U.S. troops, Park Chung-hee personally approved the lobbying plan in Aug. 1970, according to the U.S. investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n