[Editorial] Bridge divisions

Korea Herald

2 days ago

President Lee should integrate nation to overcome security, trade crises
Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea was elected president on Tuesday, ending six months of turmoil stemming from his predecessor's botched attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
While South Korea has been embroiled in its own political chaos, the international situation and trade scene changed rapidly.
Donald Trump was inaugurated as the president of the United States and US-China relations soured.
The US, warning of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, has indicated a possible shift of US Forces Korea's focus. It has also piled pressure on Seoul to shoulder more of the costs for stationing US troops.
North Korea has learned modern tactics fighting on the front line with Ukraine and received advanced weapons technology from Russia. The North's threats to South Korea have grown considerably.
Washington is closely watching foreign countries' relations with China. Seoul has sided with the US for security while cooperating with China for trade, but it is unlikely that such a stance can be maintained under the Trump administration.
China's movements are suspicious. Beijing has installed three large-scale structures within the Provisional Measures Zone of the Yellow Sea. The zone is a shared area where the exclusive economic zones of South Korea and China overlap. The action could be a "gray zone" tactic, or a deliberately ambiguous move aimed at expanding China's maritime jurisdiction.
The US-China rivalry for hegemony in East Asia shakes the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. The new government has been given a difficult task to resolve complex diplomatic and security problems.
The South Korean economy is in crisis at home and abroad.
Its exports fell, impacted by US tariffs. Domestic demand remains stagnant and Korea marked negative growth in the first quarter.
It is still a big ask to secure new momentum in high-tech industries, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence. National debt is snowballing.
The Lee government should quickly take measures to revive demand and investment. It should also lift restrictions on company activity.
Korea was in a state of presidential vacuum for about six months. There were limitations to its responses to security and trade issues. Summit diplomacy is urgent, and its starting point should be a summit with the US. South Korean security issues, such as USFK and North Korea, have become graver than ever.
The US reprieve of its "reciprocal" tariffs is set to end July 8. Tariff negotiations should be finished before then. Also on this matter, summit communication will be useful.
South Korea-Japan relations are important, too. Lee needs to add to the shuttle diplomacy that the previous governments in Seoul and Tokyo restored after 12 years. If the new government values national interests, there would be no reason to discontinue the summit cooperation mechanism.
As for relations with China, many different interests are entangled. It is difficult to resolve them through working discussions alone. It would be worth utilizing the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Gyeongju in late October.
Campaigns in this presidential election were fraught with mutual slander and accusations. The election is over, but conflict remains. Healing conflict and integrating people should be a priority for the new president. Past presidents have vowed to integrate people upon taking office, but they failed, surrounded by ardent supporters. The new president should not repeat the mistake of his predecessors.
The Democratic Party holds a large majority of seats in the National Assembly. Lee has grabbed both executive and legislative power. Government policies and bills could be enforced quickly. But there is great concern about his leadership becoming dogmatic.
The party proposed a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices to 30. Lee could appoint all the new justices. The party also seeks to revise related law to invalidate a guilty verdict on his election law violation. The party could practically dominate the judiciary if it so desires.
All the people can do is hope the president will not seek greater power. He might as well use his power toward integration. The ultimate way to overcome crises facing the nation lies in becoming a president for all, not only for his supporters.