OPINION:
As North Korea continued dangerous provocations — firing missiles, preparing for its 6th nuclear test, and threatening to carry out a nuclear attack against the U.S. with an ICBM — President Trump declared that the failed policy of “strategic patience” is over, and vowed to exert on the North expanded and continued pressure until the regime accepts denuclearization. He also pushed China, so far with considerable success, to influence the North to back down with its nuclear program.
Many South Koreans have welcomed his stern policy toward the North and are anxiously hoping that, under his leadership, some call it a “Godsend,” the U.S., together with the Republic of Korea and the international community, will finally solve the nuclear and human rights problems of the world’s most dangerous and brutal regime.
However, before any progress can be made with Mr. Trump’s North Korea strategy, a more immediate problem must be solved: the leftist-instigated political turmoil in the South, which, the same Koreans, who support America’s new North Korea policy, are worried, can potentially lead to the Communist take-over of the South. Over the past few decades, the leftist ideology has been rising in South Korea especially among the young people and much of the news media. It is now a widely accepted view that nearly half of the South Korean population is considered left leaning and sympathetic to North Korea. Unless we help save the Republic of Korea, the entire peninsula may be at peril.
After the impeachment of President Park was formally declared by the Constitutional Court on March 10, the election date to choose the new president has been set for May 9. According to a recent South Korean news media survey, the leftist candidate Moon Jae-In is the front-runner with about 40 percent support, the centrist-progressive Ahn Chol-Soo in the second position with about 20 percent, and the conservative (Right-wing, pro-US, anti-DPRK) Hong Joon-Pyo trying to catch up at about 20 percent. Although support for Hong is rapidly climbing according to a Google Trends survey (Hong~ 44 percent; Moon~ 30 percent; Ahn~ 20 percent), it is very difficult to predict the winner. And that is where the U.S. government, which has not yet taken sides, can play a decisive role and help Hong, for the sake of both South Korea’s freedom and the U.S. interest.
The impeachment of Park was the final product of the long-executed goal of the leftist politicians to end the rightist pro-US government of last 9 years (Presidents Lee and Park) through well-organized propaganda, agitation and education (by Communist teachers). The leftist-dominated National Assembly passed the impeachment resolution on Dec. 9, 2016, and submitted to the Constitutional Court for the final decree. Impeachment actions by both the National Assembly and the Court were carried out without legal ground — only based on accusations, suspicions, and the so-called “candlelight” “popular” uprising organized by leftist politicians to topple the Park government.
The main stated reason, which the Constitutional Court cited in announcing Park’s dismissal from the Presidency, was that Park refused to admit her (non-existent and unproven) crimes. Such a ruling was made even though none of the so-called 13 crimes were proven in any of the legal processes. No trial has ever been conducted and no fact of Park’s guilt, except as charged by the Prosecutors’ Office, has been established yet! The first trial is yet to begin on May 23.
Throughout his campaign, Moon has been vehemently opposing the deployment of the missile defense system, THAAD, siding with China’s opposition to it, and has been vowing to reinstate the “Sunshine policy” of former Presidents Kim Dae-Jung and Roh Moo-Hyun. As another campaign promise, Moon plans to release the Communists who are now in prison for having organized an armed revolt against the South Korean military facilities to achieve the socialist revolution. Moon also pledged to not only reopen the Kaesong Industrial complex but also expand it by 7 fold.
This manufacturing complex created by Kim Dae-Jung on North Korean soil as part of his Sunshine approach — which was pouring $100M yearly into North Korea — was closed in Feb. 2016 by President Park in retaliation against DPRK’s nuclear test and missile launches. As one of Moon’s well-known pro-North activities, while he was Chief of Staff for Roh in 2007, he ordered South Korea’s abstention in the vote for the United Nations resolution which condemned DPRK’s human rights violations.
Having explained why Moon must be defeated, now here is the reason why the U.S. has the key to influence South Korean public opinion to help Hong’s victory. Despite that nearly half of the population is left leaning, fortunately a vast majority the South Korean population, including the Progressives and Leftists, believe in a strong US-ROK alliance even though they oppose hard-line approach toward DPRK. Curiously, even the leftists are counting on the U.S. to protect the South against a possible attack from the North while emphasizing friendship and reconciliation with the Kim Jong-un regime.
A high ranking U.S. official has recently said that, no matter who is elected, the US-ROK alliance will remain strong. Such statement kind to the leftists may be appropriate after the election is over, but not a smart thing to say when the U.S. must try its best to prevent pro-North leftist government in South Korea.
Mr. Trump, instead of being neutral, should issue a statement (a few words will do) expressing concern that, if the leftist becomes next president of South Korea, the US-ROK Alliance may be in jeopardy with unavoidable friction between Seoul and Washington, possibly resulting in the withdrawal of US troops.
• Peter Kang is president of the Korea Freedom Alliance.
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