[Reporter’s Notebook] S. Korea is not America’s marionette

Although Cheong Wa Dae said South Korea does not require any U.S. approval for its North Korea policy, it is concerned that the globally broadcast interview by the influential CBS may give the wrong impression that the South Korean President will visit the U.S. to seek approval from Washington.

 

President Moon Jae-in holds an interview with Norah O’Donnell, a co-host of the U.S. broadcaster CBS’ news program “This Morning,” at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Cheong

In an interview with Moon, Tuesday, 10 days before his summit with Trump, CBS’s “This Morning” co-host Norah O’Donnell said his idea of engaging in dialogue with Pyongyang before its denuclearization was at odds with Trump’s policy; but Moon replied it was not.

Then she said, “But it’s not clear that, even under President Trump, that he will agree to allow you to negotiate with the North Koreans without any preconditions.”

It is unclear how her comment was interpreted into Korean for Moon and how the questions and answers were edited. Moon’s answers were dubbed in English.

To her comment, Moon gave a more detailed explanation about his position on negotiations, talking about a step-by-step approach.

After that, O’Donnell again said in her closing talk back with the CBS studio that Moon believes he would “get the green light from President Trump” for inter-Korean dialogue.

Regarding the tone that Moon needs Trump’s approval and the use of the terms of “allow” and “green light,” Kwun Hyuk-ki, a press official at Cheong Wa Dae, said, “We need to seek resumption of talks with the North through consultation with the U.S., but it is not something for which we need to get approval.”

The reality is that the situation has made Seoul unable to deal with Pyongyang alone and that talks and negotiations require agreement among related parties, including Washington. Also, the U.S. has a big say in North Korea issues and is leading the international community’s sanctions against the reclusive state.

However, the interviewer’s comments could mislead millions of viewers across the world to think South Korea cannot make its own decision on inter-Korean talks.

Internet users also criticized the terms used in the interview. “This may be the U.S. media’s recognition of Korea,” a blogger said, adding it treats South Korea as a “subject state.”

Source:koreatimes.co.kr