Choice 2007 & 2008!

Presidential Election of South Korea and the U.S.A.

By Kwangsu An

As the presidential election approaches in South Korea and the U.S.A., many Koreans and some Americans are starting to measure these two elections’ mutual effects. Depending on one’s view point, it seems crucial to both countries, because both have North Korea issue and the issue of the U.S. garrison troops in South Korea. But from the other point of view, it seems critical only to South Korea, because the decision maker was the U.S.A. in most cases. But after all, it is extremely important to the U.S.A., because the manner and the course of making foreign policy of the U.S.A. will not change. After 9/11, the U.S. government started to take precautions against all dangerous factors, including North Korea. Moreover, South Korea has the U.S. troop’s issue. The presidents who solve this problem are the next president of both countries, and the presidential election of both countries is close at hand.

The main presidential hopefuls of South Korea in 2007 are Lee Myung-bak, former Seoul mayor, Park Geun-hey, former chairwoman of the main opposition Grand National Party and the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee (1917-1979), Sohn Hak-kyu, former Kyonggi Province governor, Goh Kun, a former prime minister who is currently not affiliated with a party. The governing Uri Party’s two presidential hopefuls are Chung Dong-young, former unification minister, and Kim Geun-tae, incumbent party chairman.

Concerning the main issue, although many survey results show that economic growth should be a priority in the next president’s policies, it is apparent that their attitudes towards the North Korea’s nuclear issue will affect their chances of being elected the next president. The governing Uri Party’s two presidential hopefuls Chung Dong-young and Kim Geun-tae said that the government’s “peace and prosperity policy” should be maintained. While, the main opposition Grand National Party’s three presidential hopefuls Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak, Sohn Hak-kyu, and Goh Kun think the government should review its North Korea policy thoroughly because the government’s, so to speak, “sunshine” policy ended in failure.

Not only North Korea issue but also the U.S. troop’s withdrawal issue is a matter of great importance to South Korea, because we had U.S. troops at a strategic part of the border, headquartered in downtown Seoul, conducting live exercises in our villages, and controlling our military. Now, they’re leaving Seoul, scaling down exercises, and giving us back control. About this, there are many opinions and attitudes. Some people insist that it is a good opportunity for South Korea, while others ask for help. Apparently, the former are the governing Uri Party’s two presidential hopefuls, and the latter is the main opposition Grand National Party’s three presidential hopefuls. That means that, according to who’s being elected, the future foreign policy of South Korea will show a distinct difference.

There are five US presidential hopefuls catching people’s attention. They are main four Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Senator and the former first lady, John Edwards former lawyer and one-term North Carolina Senator, Al Gore, former Vice-president for eight-years under Bill Clinton, and Senator Barack Obama, and one main Republican Rudolph Giuliani, Former mayor of New York City.

Concerning the main issue of the 2008 presidential election, although there are many social and domestic issues like gay rights, abortion and gun control, for post-9/11 Washington, nuclear weapons, that is, North Korea is one of the most important issues for the U.S.A. The interesting thing is that, at least concerning North Korea, there might not be any difference between Democrats and Republicans. Regardless of the political tendencies of the next president of the U.S.A., he or she will not do anything to oppose what the previous stood for. No doubt, every presidential hopeful already knows that opposing the former will not help their chances of winning. At this point of view, who gets elected as the next president of South Korea is more important for the U.S.A. than who gets elected as the next president of the U.S.A. for South Korea.

Finally, we can’t say definitely what is good or what is bad for both countries at this stage. But returning to the subject, it is a fact that mutual election results are crucial to both, at the same time. It is also obvious that, regardless of an indirect election or a direct election, our concern and participation in the presidential election is connected with the election results. In short, we should make our decision by ourselves without hesitation. And, then, let’s choose!

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