NEXT WEEK, new South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will visit Washington on his first foreign trip abroad, hoping to cement closer ties with the U.S. government. His hopes are likely to be dashed, and the effect on the 50-year-old U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance could be catastrophic. Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue are conspiring to yank the rug out from under Lee’s feet.
Despite some early stumbles, including the resignation of some Cabinet picks due to corruption charges, Lee has shown himself a bold and visionary leader who intends to transform his country’s relations with the rest of the world. For Washington, there could be no better partner in the work of stabilizing the Korean peninsula, improving trilateral relations among the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, and showcasing the strength of democracy in a region of the world that desperately needs such examples.
