Former South Korean president Kim Young-sam is returning to Seoul today, ending a five-day visit to Taiwan. Supposedly, the purpose of Kim's high-profile trip was to negotiate the resumption of direct air links between Taiwan and his country. However, taken together, the last-minute cancellation of Kim's press conference and a joint statement with the Presidential Office on Friday indicate the visit was unfruitful. This is because Taipei did not make concessions about the air link.
During two meetings with Kim, President Chen Shui-bian (
Kim is the first former South Korean leader to visit Taiwan since the two countries broke off diplomatic ties in August of 1992. As official bilateral relations have virtually ceased, many problems between the two sides await resolution. Kim's visit was therefore greeted with much anticipation. However, the contact at the top level and all its associated problems made people wonder whether excessive significance and expectations were placed upon the visit. Worse yet, Taiwanese and South Koreans may have been misled about the unsolved problems between their countries.
A handful of individuals at the Presidential Office masterminded the government invitation to Kim, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs performed the legwork. Discord had broken out between two sides, because they held different perceptions of Kim, a highly controversial political figure. When the perception of a minority spearheading an event contradicts the majority's common values and professional judgment, problems result.
Kim's trip demonstrated that South Koreans continue to ignore the fact that to resume friendship with Taiwan, it must first show "goodwill" and "respect." Taiwan was the victim in the cessation of bilateral diplomatic ties. Severing direct air link was a last resort to salvage Taiwan's dignity.
In the past nine years, South Korea have pressed hard for the resumption of the air links, because it has more to gain thereby. It is high time then that Taiwan brazenly asked the Koreans: "What's in it for us?" After all, bilateral interactions must be mutually beneficial to all. So far Korea has proffered nothing. All it has done is demand that the air links resume. Korea, of course, does not have the right to demand anything of Taiwan, we are not a vassal state. it is all the more regrettable that such is the lack of backbone among our compatriots that South Korea's high-handed behavior has made some Taiwanese believe that Taiwan is wrong to refuse Seoul's arrogant request.
While direct air links bring little benefit for Taiwan, the accumulating trade deficit in Korea's favor is a big issue which was US$4.6 billion in 1999, and US$5 billion last year. Only with Japan does Taiwan run a larger trade deficit. it would be nice to see Seoul do something about this first before we take the air-links issue any further.
Once one realizes the the problems, the promotion of bilateral relations on a mutually beneficial footing becomes very clear. The only way to improve bilateral relations is on the basis of respect, reciprocity, and integrity. If South Korea remains in denial about its status as the "wrongdoer" and continues to push Taiwan on the issue of air links, it will only provoke Taiwan's resentment.
This newspaper expected little from Kim's trip if only because it has little but contempt for Kim himself and his generally malign influence on the land he governed. It was a mistake to invite him in the first place and after this fiasco we hope the presidential office clique will refrain from more inept backdoor diplomacy. National interests and professional judgments should take priority. Taiwan's diplomatic predicament is bad enough. Do not aggravate the problem.
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