Invisible competitiveness goes on. Now Seoul got crushed a submerged rock. Some describe this critical situation as IMF of Korean diplomacy and security. To find proper relief loan, we need to look back the way we have walked. Historically, people learned how to cope with the problem by seeking last situations. So to increase foreign exchange reserve, we need to find ‘a mirror’ leaders who won the Noble Peace Prize by contributing to international peaceful atmosphere in the part of diplomacy. Comparing events by events, we can find the exit and will not re-act the last failure.

Do you know?

Dokdo(two islands) located in the East Sea
Is a part of Korean territory
The Japanese government must acknowledge this fact.

Here is the part of advertisement printed in New York Times with the picture of Korean Peninsular. This was one of the activities that VANK, the NGO, has worked out to correct the sign of Dakeshima to Dokdo. July 30th, when The Board on Geographic Names (BGN) listed Dokdo as Undesignated Sovereignty, the whole diplomat agencies emerged the red code. Series of incidents, tourist attack in mountain Geumgang and Korean-American argues in importing cows reveal the lacks in the structure of diplomat situations weakened by late reactions.

Among criticisms thrown all social standings, we must recognize it is the very time to accept that Korean government has made a mistake. We have overlooked the relations between nearby countries, failing to notice that ‘actually there are no everlasting friends or enemies in international politics’.  When BGN announced Dokdo as Dakeshima right after the Japanese remark on book for history teachers, all the Korean pots boiled. And the Korean ambassador to the United States and Japan got urgent to bring it back. Professors prepared for the long-term counterplans.

Despite all those efforts, the main key of the correction for seven days was a comment from president Bush. After the decision, Korea took a deep breath but we should know that this is one of the mere cards that the U.S. used to pull.
There is no free market in international relations. Then what requests will come out of Bush’s pocket?

Experts are analyzing that Bush had a political decision ahead of his visit to Korea. He wants to ratify FTA between Korea and the U.S. in his term as quickly as possible. Additionally, there have been many demonstrations even violently by citizens so that he needed to calm public opinion down by restoring what BGN had presented.
 
Among several agendas in the Korean-U.S. summit talk conducted August 6th, we can find something the U.S. wants Korea to do. Of course the beef import should be well progressed as they tended to do. And there are argues between experts whether or not Bush required Lee to send more troops to Afghanistan. Because sending troops to Afghanistan became a main issue of the election, both Republic and Democrat candidates for presidency are mentioning to enlarge the amount of forces stationing in Afghan. Korean government has defensive attitude and announcing no agreement exists despite of announcement from Bush. The U.S. is saying ‘There were some achievements in Afghan matters in the talk with Lee.’ This shows our diplomacy is under America’s control.
 
America-centered international order has put Korea into the risk. ‘Treaty of Portsmouth’ which ended the Russia-Japan war in 1905 gave Therodore Roosevelt the Noble Peace Prize. The main reason was to intermediate both countries and bring the peace into the world.
 
In solving international issue, he believed ‘the weak are the prey of the strong’. He required to increase the marine budget and has even exaggerated the seriousness of international conflict to get the permission to build warships. He also forced Dominica republic to nominate America as an economic advisor. He displayed the big-stick diplomacy when America obtained ground around the Panama Canal from Columbia, when Cuba built provisional government and when they fought with Canada for Alaska and Canada border problem.
 
On the contrary, he was sincere in negotiating powerful nations. Roosevelt intended to pick benefits up for the U.S. by connecting bridge, Treaty of Portsmouth, after the war. In this process, he also made the treaty with Japan government to guarantee the control of the Philippines by giving Japan priority in Chosun.
 
 The Nobel Peace Prize proved his policy as appropriate. Sweden grants Noble Prize following the Noble’s willing, stating “A person or a group of people who contributed to open and progress peace conference or to warm the inter-relations and to shorten or get rid of the military cost”. Of course Roosevelt succeeded to complete the treaty, his general diplomat policy was not only for the peace of the globe. Behind the fact, there were purposes to lead the situation to the advantageous. The reason of his fame as a great president, despite all of these, is the reasonable diplomacy in the right situation.

After World War Ⅱ, we cannot deny the influence of the U.S. far-stretched. But situation got changed. When Therodore shook his hand with Japan, Korea was a mere country having no voice in international stage. For now, we have enough ability to speak loud outside. When present government analyzed our diplomacy with the U.S. needing ‘restoration’, Seoul lowed its position too down to have the initiative in diplomacy.

America’s shadow can also be found in managing the relations between South and North. As the only separated country, South and north need to cooperate each other. But unfortunately most of agreements come out of the six-party talks usually about the North Korea and U.S. relationship. At the moment the North disarmed their nuclear system, a good chance to improve inter-relation, abruptly we faced the risk, tourist attack. President Lee descended warmer atmosphere than any other governments in diplomacy and security part. And fortunately, it seems not to be disturbed for a moment.
As the geographical location surrounded by the powers and divided into two pieces, Korean has the similarity with the case of last Germany. Both of them were separated into two countries, having different ideology and economic structure. The Soviet Union regarded East Germany and North Korea as the final gate of Capitalism. Finally, when Soviet was collapsed, each of them has tried to reunite. Of course the reason is various, represents from the South and the North have invested Germany, already reunited, since 1990 and studied the “experience of Germany”.

Now that’s why we have to look back the strategy, Ospolitik. Brandt Willy, the last Prime minister of the West and also the winner of Nobel Peace Prize, showed his ability in this atmosphere. His main strategy was “the acceptance of the inevitable.” Though his policy was largely forced by the conservative opinions, he displayed to take limited chance in communication and journey. His best achievement was to confirm their self-administration in the world. He could avoid other possible threats from the third countries and relying on other Western countries to verify the support. Official recognition to each other brings the opportunity to behave what one intends to do in international relations. By being sure that they would not seek sonderweg to other nations, they kept the belief from both Western society and the Soviet Union. His policy also improved the correlation in Europe by finding normalization between nations. When they got chance to prevent the disbelief from outside, German-German relationship rapidly progressed. The west made the Ease dependent on the part of structure. The collaboration improved the informal channel and this became the method to understand each other. Of course some experts says another winner of Nobel Peace Prize, Gorbachov helped to close the last door of unity by using Sinatra-Doctrine.

 But the most of all that “Ospolitik” was necessary to complete the reuniting process. And German government continued and reinforced policy. So that it changed the negative thinking the people of the East.

In that government attempted to communicate with the other part, Sunshine Policy has in common with Ospolitik. President Kim dae-jung first tried to knock the North to bring them to the meeting table. He thought diplomatic pressure or hard-line policy rather make the North be afraid of and be exclusive. In this process president Kim described his Sunshine Policy as the story of the sun and the wind. ‘Strong wind just people adjust their coat. Sunshine only can put their coat off.’

As the result, he processed Geumgang tourism, summit talk and Kaesong industrial Complex. And even Roh government partly reconnected Kyung-I railroad and softened the military tension. Most of all that, Kim made up ‘6.15. declaration’ as the outcome of arrangement of the way to unite.

When Kim won the Nobel Prize, some blamed his policy in that he ignored the international order “give and take”. After new resident of Cheongwadae, Lee spoke strong speech to practice the reciprocity the North has not answered the suggestion of official meetings.

 Worse and worse, as the North negotiated with the U.S. to destroy their nuclear system and the U.S. promised large amount of food and energy support, the possibility to answer our request in low position. Additionally, at the six party talk, as South government totally agreed the U.S.’s policy, the North would not need the necessity to communicate with our government. This failure is derived from the miss of conservative government, understanding inter-relations just into confrontation of the South and North.

Since President Kim dae-jung meet Kim jung-il in Pyungyang, for so-called lost 10 years, relations between the South and the North has progressed. To keep peaceful air over Korea peninsular, it’s time for Lee’s government to use this moment. Experts advise the government to try to talk. Like the case of Germany and Sunshine policy, conversation is the key source of peace.

Now it is the time to show diplomatic skills. Following the quotation from an interviewee of Hangyure, continuous talks are all we need. If government only focuses on “attack” and “fact finding”, we cannot make a positive structure in communication. “At least, we need the atmosphere to let two summits talks whenever they need. So that our president will speak loudly to the U.S. president and to world wide.” Said Lee bong-jo, the last vice minister of the Ministry of National Unification.

Frankly speaking international force comes from the hand of economically powerful country, for now the U.S. So it is not strange to peep their reactions and statements. But, Korean present diplomacy confronts a lot of walls; too dependent on the power.

All social standings explained our diplomatic and security situation on August as ‘crisis’. Besides the mentioned problems with America, Japan and the North Korea, some carefully predict the conflicts with China. If Beijing Olympics ends, there might be another obstacle; the China’s Northeastern project. China has already tackled Yiudo saying “It is Chinese territory in a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.” Additionally, historical problems might be risen with improved status in international society.

There is no time and effort to waste anymore. In this point what we need to do is find our own way to stand by ourselves on the international stage. To be a strong country in spite of its size, so called to have international competitiveness, Korea should have powerful diplomatic country.