One each from the Chosun Ilbo, Don-a Ilbo, and Joongang Ilbo, and all one topic; you guessed it, Roh’s abysmal performance as president. This quote from the Joongang is to the point: “President Roh Moo-hyun held a press conference . . . After seeing it, people have had to lower their expectations for an improvement in the current situation.” Ouch.

Chosun Ilbo: A Nation Led by a Blind Man

It is true that past administrations set a goal of exercising sole wartime operational control by 2000 — provided it was concluded that the risk of war was virtually eliminated on the Korean Peninsula by then in view of our own capability versus North Korea’s. But they concluded that security on the peninsula deteriorated due to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, so they suspended the plan.

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Roh is misleading the public that the GNP and media insisted on pushing ahead with exercising sole wartime operational control by 2000 no matter what happens, but now oppose the same plan.

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Reminded that Korea will have only 40 F-15 fighters and no early warning system and no Aegis vessels in the National Assembly last June, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung answered, “We think that we can make preparations to a certain degree in about five years.” The minister said Korea needs 20 additional F-15 fighters (W3 trillion), three Aegis destroyers (W3.6 trillion) and early warning systems (W1.6 trillion) and the money required was part of the W621 trillion defense budget. Roh had spoken: “Taking back wartime operational control is the core of defending our nation on our own,” and the Defense Ministry is calling the W621 trillion self-defense budget to reflect that doctrine. This is why it is so irresponsible to say that nothing in the defense budget is especially due to taking back wartime operational control. Sole operational troop control leads to the dismantlement of Combined Forces Command. Roh would be disregarding his responsibility to defend this nation if he did not boost the defense budget when trying to replace the CFC, which has been the bedrock of our national security, with our own independent military capability.

“People always say there are many problems with the Korea-U.S. alliance, but every time I meet U.S. President Bush, I find that there is no problem. I met President Bush, completely dispelling worries that I’m eroding the bilateral relationship” … Even Prof. Bruce Cumings, who usually offers a leftwing view of history for the administration, said the alliance is at its worst since 1950. The widespread perception in Washington is that president Roh is solely responsible for the deterioration of the alliance.

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It is clear that the Korea-U.S. alliance has gotten as bad as it has ever been, but Roh says there is no problem. People are evidently having trouble making ends meet, but the chief executive inform us the economy is doing well. He is blind, that is Korea’s problem. (emphasis added)

Dong-a Ilbo: Roh’s World… and Korea’s

Roh said that he could not understand the strong opposition to the wartime command transfer, citing that his predecessors had long attempted to take over the control from the U.S., for which the media gave them huge credit. He explained that defense capability is the key to securing national sovereignty, comparing that the president, i.e. commander in chief cannot be recruited from other countries for the same reason. However, today’s security environment is totally different from then.

North Korea is developing missiles and nuclear weapons. Japan’s rapid military buildup is threatening the stability of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia to the extent that it is anticipated to vie for hegemony with emerging superpower China. Meanwhile, the Korea-U.S. relationship has soured so much that it is said to be the worst in history. Against this background, any security related policy or initiative should be given much thought. There’s no need to rush referring to the past.

His overly optimistic view on the ROK-U.S. alliance also raised many eyebrows. While most Korea experts and officials in the U.S. have been issuing stern warnings against the bilateral relationship, they fall on Roh’s deaf ears. Even Bruce Cumings, left-wing professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, said that the alliance is damaged too much to be restored.

If President Roh thinks that way, how can he have a meaningful discussion with President Bush at the Korea-U.S. summit next month? (emphasis added)

Joongang Ilbo: Roh’s closed-door logic

President Roh Moo-hyun held a press conference at the Korea Broadcasting Service building. After seeing it, people have had to lower their expectations for an improvement in the current situation.

In terms of national security and foreign affairs, President Roh revealed a very narrow, stubborn point of view. He said, “There has been no problem in the Korea-U.S. alliance. I was convinced of that every time I met with President George W. Bush.” If so, why was he not invited to President Bush’s ranch? The presidents of China and Russia, two enemy countries of the United States during the Korean War, enjoyed the chance to meet President Bush while chowing down on Texan hamburgers. Where was the president of Korea, a part of that blood alliance?

President Roh wavered in taking a stance against the extreme anti-Americans who tried to tear down the statue of General Douglas MacArthur. He let his soldiers be beaten up by protesters in Pyeongtaek. He has not prepared a decent bombing range for the U.S. Air Force in Korea. He said North Korea had a reason to develop nuclear weapons… President Roh should know that the United States feels betrayed by his administration, which took power with the help of anti-American forces.

In regard to the takeover of wartime operational command, President Roh criticized the Grand National Party, which opposes the transfer, and some of the media, saying, “the forefather of the Grand National Party [the Roh Tae-woo administration] pursued a takeover of wartime control.” However, things were different in the 1990s, as far as national security is concerned. North Korea did not fire missiles as a form of brinkmanship, nor did it toy with nuclear bombs. Most of all, the Korean administration got along well with the United States. Anti-American forces or left-wing forces had not taken power. President Roh should not compare the situations then and now so easily. He said the opposition of the Grand National Party was the problem. But former defense ministers, retired generals and other senior citizens who worry about the country are also about to pour out onto the streets, opposing the plan for the transfer. (emphasis added)

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